A lot of college goers in Bengaluru consciously choose to work out at home or hit the gym, inspite of having a demanding college schedule. Niharika Sodhi, a fitness blogger, agrees that morning is an ideal time to hit the gym as the workout energises her for the rest of the day. “My mantra is to wake up early. When you exercise in the morning, you are done for the day. There will always be spontaneous plans with friends after class and I don’t like having a pending workout at the back of mind.” Even on days when there is excessive workload, these youngsters still try to sneak in a quick workout. Mukul James, an economics student says, “I try to get my workout done in the morning even if I was just skipping on the terrace for 20 minutes. The workload from college can be a lot which means missing the gym on days when you are really tired.”
While gym memberships are known to be expensive, some accommodate the thriving student crowd. Srishti Singh a media studies student says, “Gyms near my college have student discounts and the rates are pretty reasonable.” Parents too gladly help jumpstart the fitness pursuits of their kids by funding the membership fees which could range from '10,000 to '15,000 annually.
Individual preferences decide workout regimes. Rakshit Pai, a law student, likes pumping iron during a workout. Mukul focuses on cardio and fitness specific routines than muscle gain and prefers to do interval training. While, Srishti believes in having fun with floor workouts that also help in losing belly fat. It takes unwavering discipline to keep going on and the results that come with time are enough of a motivator. Niharika says, “The results kept me going! It was not just about the weight loss but about being healthy. I felt extremely good, and my acne disappeared too! When I exercise, my day goes really well.”
For Srishti working out with friends motivates her. “We remind each other how we want our goals to come true, whenever one person does not feel like hitting the gym.” For these youngsters, being healthy and fit seems to be as important as excelling at their academics.
