It’s still March, and we are already feeling the heat. The summer season is getting intense in Kerala. People are finding it difficult to cope up with the climate. The temperature is expected to rise in the next two months as the summer gets extreme. Dehydration, rashes, sunburn, foot infection etc. are the major issues people face during this time. So, it is very important to stay healthy at this point of time and majority of the health clubs are coming up with summer camps and tips to tackle it.
Kochi is famous for some of the prime health clubs. Most of them are planning summer camps and the instructors are ready with useful tips and precautions to handle the summer. The Floor, a dance and movement studio in Kochi, is coming up with an array of programmes for the summer.
Arunima Gupta, the founder of The Floor, will be conducting Kidanza from April 1st - 5th. This will include zumba for kids, personality development and public speaking sessions. A science camp will be conducted from April 8th -12th for the kids, too. Arunima will be also conducting Super Loss, a summer intensive zumba programme, which will focus on weight loss. Super Loss will feature high cardio workout with diet chart. There will also be Taekwondo sessions through the month of April. Zumba sessions will also be available for professionals, three days a week.
Summer is the time that everyone loses weight. “We sweat more during summer season and loss of calories will be more, too. So, the first thing one has to take care is proper hydration. As the body continues to sweat, we need to hydrate it properly. So, we need to consume a great amount of water before and after exercise. The clothes which are used while exercising need to be properly chosen. Beverages like tea, coffee, soft drinks etc. contain great amounts of calories. It’s better to avoid these and move into a health pattern of food intake. Juices, fresh fruits and vegetable salads are the best at this time. It will be even good if we move to a vegan diet, which will help in hydrating the body. The primary thing is to replace the intake of fatty food with fruits and juices, so the body system will keep cleansed. And everyone needs to exercise everyday to keep the body fit. Loss of salts and fluids from our body is more during summer. So, keeping hydrated is the mantra,” says Arunima Gupta.
Sports are another way to keep everyone fit anytime. However, one needs to be careful during outdoor sports during this season. B-fit, another fitness centre in Kochi, is all set to start badminton summer camp for kids from the next month, which will run till May 10th. They are finalising other programmes as part of the summer camp. “The summer camp is for the kids only. They will be given badminton training and will have sessions for weight loss and dance etc. The weight loss programmes for kids will be decided depending on the age of the kids, as we need to check on their balance and co-ordination,” says Bindu Prakash, owner of B-Fit fitness centre.
She has also tips for our body for beating the summer heat. “The main factor is to hydrate our body, so we need to drink more water. Workouts need to be scheduled at early morning or evening, even the jogging or walking sessions should be carried out at the same time. It’s always safe to avoid open air activities at noon time, from 11.30 am -3 pm. The kids and adults need to consume more water every day and also have lighter food. Fruits and juices should be consumed more.”
However, Venugopal Unnikrishnan, owner of Belaire Health Club in Thiruvananthapuram, has a different version on the summer camps at fitness centres. “I have been running the health club for around 35 years and I’ve never conducted any summer camp till now. The reason is that I feel it won’t be useful to the participants. If someone desires to be a good cricketer, will that happen within a short duration of 2-3 months? It takes years for one to be a good cricketer. Like that, it takes continuous, dedicated, workout for months to build a healthy body. The camps will develop a healthy attitude for the participants towards exercise, other than that nothing beneficial will happen to them,” he says.
He affirms that exercise routines have been changed due to the climate. “We sweat a lot during this season, which result in the loss of salts and thereby reduces our efficiency. We won’t be able to work out as we used to do in a pleasant climate, so firstly we need to reduce the intensity of exercises. Many people think that drinking a lot of water will keep us fit during this time. Consumption shouldn’t be limited to water alone; we need to have a lot of fruit juices, which have apt salt contents. Fruit juices can be taken without adding sugar, which will be the best. Drinking water alone will result in reduction of efficiency only. People have already started preferring early morning and night timings for workouts.”
