From weight loss to remaining injury-free: fitness resolutions for 2017
Life resolutions are almost synonymous with ringing in the New Year. Even though many think of resolutions as little more than jokes, quite a few people still use them as opportunities to make important lifestyle changes for self-improvement. We asked twenty-somethings out there about their resolutions for keeping fit and healthy in the year to come and got some interesting answers.
Ad film director Dixit Parkar, 27, wants to work towards getting a muscular physique. “I am not specifically aiming for a six pack,” he says. “My diet will include more protein and less carbs. That means having rice just twice a week and avoiding fried food.” Parkar also shares that he plans to do cardio twice a week to maintain stamina levels as well as heavy weight training for muscle development.
For Rohil Shekason, a 25-year-old deck officer in the Merchant Navy, shedding those extra pounds will be his main focus for the upcoming year. “I have already lost 15 kgs in 2016 but plan to lose even more,” he reveals. He has chosen to follow a General Motors diet plan but with some slight modifications. “No more sugar and fried foods for me. I’ll swim for an hour in the mornings and go for a 45-minute jog in the evenings. Afternoons will be for some strength-building exercises,” he adds.
22-year-old Saloni Mehta, a senior HR consultant, thinks it is okay to cheat and give in to the junk food temptation every once in a while. “I believe that exercising daily for about an hour will keep the fat away,” she quips. Mehta feels that simple yet rigorous physical activities like skipping and running help one’s body to be healthy in a more holistic way.
Some like TV producer Kushang Sawe, 25, have decided to move on to new exercise routines. “Although I’m already working out on standard equipment at the gym, I will be switching to calisthenics in the following year.” He is even following a detailed diet plan already. “The nutrient break-up is 60 per cent proteins, 25 per cent carbs, and 15 per cent other nutrients,” he explains.
But there are others who prefer a simpler approach to get fit. “All I want is a flat stomach,” says 26-year-old cost management consultant Jitesh R. Save. He also has no plans to go on any fancy diets and prefers sticking to homemade food. His resolution also includes not missing any football matches in the future.
Of course, fitness is not just about looking in ‘good shape’ and no one knows this better than folks who are involved in competitive sports. 27-year-old Bibin Alexander, who is both an instructional designer at a consultancy firm and a ‘D’ licensed football coach, hopes to remain injury-free. He advises having a diet that has the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. On a personal level, he has decided to increase his carb intake during ‘in-season’ and protein intake when it’s off-season time. “As we happen to spend hours sitting in office, most of our muscles remain unused. So, doing exercises that make use of all the muscles as much as possible is also important. It is more like 'use it or lose it',” he stresses.
The starting of a new year can be the right time to turn your life around if fitness wasn’t that big a priority for you in the past. HR executive Asma Khan, 21, intends to become a ‘fitness freak’ in 2017 and finally join the gym. “2016 has been a junk year for me,” she confesses. Khan wishes to make it a habit to have more green vegetables and juices. “An early morning refreshing drink of warm water with lemon and honey is something that I wish to continue to have in 2017,” she says. According to her, practising yoga daily for 15-20 minutes is a nice way to remain mentally agile.
But pumping iron in the gym is not the only way one can stay physically fit. Anam Mujawar, 22, is determined to carry on her martial arts sessions thrice a week in the future. “My diet will include more of eggs, chicken, fish, and supplements as they are good sources of protein,” she says.
