Conversation overheard during an office tea break after a co-worker experienced a mild health scare: “It was only a slight variation, nothing to worry about,” said the visibly relieved colleague, sipping his daily dose of machine-made tea. “Well, you’re about the right age, you should be due for a heart incident soon,” joked another, a ‘veteran’ patient after a recent angioplasty. Busy schedules and long working hours have left fitness and fun by the wayside and given rise to a whole generation who take hefty medical bills to be a given in their future. But necessity is the mother of invention, and this same generation is now embracing modern workout routines that seek to combine fun with fitness, with dance, martial arts and even the simple act of reminding oneself to get up from the office terminal being integral parts of making fitness an achievable goal.
Most gyms are now replacing regular cardio-based warm up routines with Zumba dancing. A fitness programme that combines dance with aerobics, it was created in the 90s by Columbian choreographer Alberto Perez. “The appeal of Zumba is that it is a group activity involving music and dance. Most people are reluctant to participate individually in fitness programmes, but Zumba also provides the opportunity to learn a bit of Latin American dance like salsa, so it is an appealing alternative,” says Poornima Viswanathan, a licensed Zumba instructor. “While it is not formal training in these dance forms, it does give people an idea of the basics of dance. There is a lot of repetition in moves so that it is easy to pick up,” says the 29-year-old, who quit her job last year and decided to focus solely on dance-based exercise.
Abin Alexander, a choreographer and former backup dancer, now teaches Zumba and kickboxing classes. “I picked up Zumba over many years as a dancer and choreographer, and I have always been interested in martial arts, so I combined the two into a workout routine. Zumba combines some cardio and fun, and I have included some calisthenics (exercises that are not assisted by apparatus) into the mix,” he says.
Housewives and working women form a majority of Zumba adopters, though Poornima points out that Zumba being geared toward women is a misconception. “There are an increasing number of men joining the lessons. Besides, Zumba was created by a man!” Abin also disagrees that kickboxing is mostly taken up by men. “A lot of guys take up kickboxing to get ripped, but plenty of fitness conscious women practise it to stay in shape and as a form of self defence.”
Those who have tried the path less taken agree that a break from monotonous gymming has drastically improved their general fitness and stamina. Livya Maria Wilson, a 23-year-old CA student, credits Zumba with helping her shed weight and stay active. “I wasn’t very confident at first but now I find it to be great fun to interact with others. A class in the evening has made me much more active. Earlier I used to get sleepy soon after dark, but now my stamina is much better,” she says enthusiastically. Abin’s brother Abil Alexander, also a fitness freak, says the activity is a great stress buster. “I work the graveyard shift for a US-based company, and the late hours, long periods being stationary, and late night snacking are major issues for night shift workers. I used to be into sports in school and haven’t had a way to stay in shape since, so kickboxing is really handy as it helps you stay lean, and being lean is ‘in’ these days.”
Abil also mentions that taking the time to walk over to a co-worker’s cubicle during office hours can work wonders. “We do a lot of Skyping with international clients, but by extension we also use Skype to chat with people sitting a few cubicles away. I’ve found that just taking a short break to actually walk over and have that conversation really helps in terms of relaxing the body as well as breaking the ice with colleagues.”
With all these options, making fitness fun is now a real possibility. “It’s great to see so many people do their research and participate, but there are also a lot of people who have no idea such options exist, so it goes both ways,” says Abin. “You also have options like Tae Bo and pilardio, which mixes pilates with cardio. There are a lot of people who are curious about new forms of fitness training and about 80 per cent actually join classes,” adds Poornima.
Considering getting back into shape now? A little motivation: rather than visualise dank gym rooms with the metronomic clink of metal, think pumping music, swaying bodies and the satisfying sound of fists hitting punching bags. You’re welcome.
