Dance your way to fitness

Dance has become a way of staying fit and healthy for the young and old alike

Come April and with examinations over, schools and colleges have closed for the long summer vacation. Students are looking at various options to kill time and spend their vacation wisely. And dance has become a way of life for the young and old alike, to remain healthy and fit. 

Panampilly Nagar has become one of the hotbeds of dance studios in Kochi. Many studios offer various dance forms like Zumba, Salsa, hip hop, contemporary and so on to young and old alike. "Zumba is a form of fitness, a fusion of aerobics and dance. It combines Reggae, Rumba, Carimba, Cha Cha…. It is performed to with Latin music and is a high-energy dance,” says Rajesh Raj, Zumba fitness expert. 

What makes these dance forms interesting is the fact that it has no age bar and one don’t need to have a talent for dancing. “Dance combined with aerobics is the new fitness mantra today,” says Harsha Thachery, who enrolled for Salsa and Zumba classes a month back at Sporty Beans. “It is an exciting, energising form that engenders weight loss, toning and fitness, all at the same time,” adds Raj. 

According to Amee Sampat, franchise owner, Sporty Beans, Kochi, fitness must start at a very young age. “Kids these days are glued to television and next generation ‘toys’ like tablets and ipads. Children as young as pre-schoolers need to be engaged in some physical activity or the other to get them out of the sedentary lifestyle. The idea is to engage them in a fitness activity in a fun way,” she adds. 

While Sporty Beans, is not so much into dancing, it is aimed at catching and training kids young. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and develops a lifelong passion for sports and games.Founded by Arunima Gupta and Maria Roy, The Floor, a dance studio in Panampilly Nagar offers weekly Zumba classes of 2 hours each. They also offer Salsa, hip hop, contemporary jazz and Indian contemporary dance classes during vacation.  For Deepa George, dance has become a way of life. “I enjoy dancing and if it can help me stay fit, there is nothing like it,” says George, a mother of two and a fitness freak. 

What are you waiting for? Put on your dancing shoes, get ready to groove and burn some fat!                                                                  

sherene.joseph@timesgroup.com  

Consumers, it’s your day today!

15 March observed as World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), is an opportunity to promote the basic rights of all consumers and demand that those rights are protected. It commemorates the day John F Kennedy, former US President, first delivered his historic address on consumer rights in 1962.

The theme of this year’s WCRD is ‘fix our phone rights.’ Consumers International (CI), an independent global campaigning voice for consumers, is making an effort to highlight the consumer issues that most affect consumers of mobile services.

Mahatma Gandhi had rightly said, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work - he is the purpose of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him.” 

Women, love yourselves

Women must bring in the prism of love and wellness into their life as a 
matter of choice

Juggling between household chores, profession and family, women today hardly find time to lead a healthy lifestyle, let alone take care of their health. They are too busy managing the home and caring for their loved ones that they are totally stressed by the end of the day and it takes a toll on their health. It is important to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle to prevent common ailments and worries too. 

Unhealthy habits leads to a lot of lifestyle diseases, which needs immediate attention. There are dangers involved in sedentary lifestyle and eating disorders, leading to obesity trends. “Being over-weight is due to the fact that women have no time to take care of their body. Obesity further leads to gestational diabetes, infertility problems and hyper tension. Irregular food habits are one of the causes of weight problems,” says Dr Parasuram Gopinath, Infertility Specialist, CIMAR. “Eating right portions at the right time, regular health check-ups like mammogram, blood and cholesterol tests and exercising well is important,” he added.

Women are often very critical of their bodies. Rajashree Chowdhary, one of the world’s most well- known yoga masters, suggests that women practice yoga every day for it helps resolve emotions. “Yoga teaches you what is your strength, and your weekness. If you practice yoga, meditation, you will not lose balance. In India women tend to give it up totally for the family. They often forget to take time out for themselves. Whereas, in the West, women are more determined to take care of themselves,” says Chowdhary.

Apart from these fitness mantras, it is essential to look good in order to feel good. One must find time to indulge in their favourite hobbies or simply pamper themselves. “I call it the ‘me-time’, which is very important in order to keep your sanity intact,” says Harsha Thachery, a homemaker and mother of toddler, who unwinds with a walk in the park and by attending zumba dance classes twice a week. “It is a welcome break as well as rejuvenating,” adds Thachery. 

Similarly, it is good to take time off to pamper you. Treat yourself to a luxurious spa therapy and look radiant like never before.  A spa therapy typically refreshes and rejuvenates one thoroughly. It de-stresses and relaxes the senses, leaving a feeling of well-being. 

“Happiness is something nobody can give, there is no formula to be happy. Also, being unhappy sometimes is not bad, it can teach you many things. To fulfill your desires, a certain independence is necessary. But, it is essential to find your balance too,” concludes Choudhary.

-Sherene Joseph

 

 

Saluting Women

8 March, celebrated the world over as International Women’s Day, is a true celebration of womanhood. And this year, we choose to salute the indomitable spirit of a few women who have overcome the difficulties of life to carve a niche for themselves in their area of passion. The theme this year being ‘Inspiring change’, these wonderful women draw inspiration from within, follow their passion and continue to inspire others. 

WOW Women!