Keeping the core strong

Photo Credits: SUNDAY. PAGE 2. LEAD

Fitness lies in simplicity. When one looks at life and society today, one is often reminded of the Buddhist principle that balance lies at the centre of everything. Balance is important. One person who knows that only too well, is Nivedita Dempo, founder of Studio 101, located in St Inez, one of Panaji’s premier fitness centres.

It’s been five years since Dempo founded Studio 101 and the brand has only grown in stature since then. There are many reasons for that. One main aspect to the brand’s success was the fact that Dempo was accessible and always around to lend a helping hand. Perhaps this is also why Studio 101 has been a favourite for the ladies in and around Panaji. “Most measure success in terms of financial growth but I have different parameters for gauging success. I value the satisfaction and progress of my clients as well as employees.” says Ms Dempo.

Her tryst with fitness started when she lived in America. “I first took to fitness when I was a young student in the USA. I used to have a lot of junk food there and I gained more than 10 kg in four months. Being an avid lover of food, I decided to sweat-out the extra weight rather than reducing food intake. This led me to join a gym and fitness later became more than just a hobby,” she says.

In the whole ‘staying fit’ programme, eating right and working out the right way, is the most important and there are certain mantras one must live by, in order to have a healthy life. “You must consume a lower amount of calories than what you need to get through the day,” she says, stressing on the ‘eating right’ part of the programme. There are those who cut down or remove important food groups from the diet, carbohydrates being the first victim. Dempo insists that this move is a strict no-no, saying “I don’t agree that you need to cut down on carbs. Fruit and vegetables have carbs too. In fact, a meat or protein heavy diet can have adverse consequences. Balance and moderation is important.”

It’s possibly these fundamentals that have attracted many fitness conscious people to Studio 101, a large number of them being female. This is purely coincidental, but also has its roots in Nivedita Dempo’s idea that she be approachable and available to consult with all her members. “I remember when I would come down from America. At the gym, I was the only female working with weights. I’m assuming that women felt a bit threatened by the male members who were doing their weight training, as well as male trainers who, when they tell a woman to lose weight in her tummy for instance, they don’t know what it’s like to give birth or have gone through a C-section. I could relate to that,” she says. At Studio 101 however, there are programmes and weight training packages for men too.

Dempo says she has strived to stay true to the core values and vision which lie at the heart of the fitness centre. “Our name Studio 101 symbolises that we build and cherish one-to-one relationships with our clients. We believe that every person has his or her own natural constitution. Each of our clients undergoes stringent medical tests before joining and I personally design a customised fitness regime for each of them after studying what suits him or her best,” she states, as she gets set to celebrate the establishment’s fifth anniversary with her staff.

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Nivedita’s Golden Rules

Eat enough calories: Never crash diet. Just eat lots of multicolored foods like fruit and vegetables. Eat a high fibre and low fat diet

Drink plenty of water: Consume at least 8-10 glasses of water per day. Water cleanses the body of impurities

Exercise at least 3-5 times a week: Exercise controls your weight, combats health conditions and diseases and boosts your energy levels

Weight train: Weight training builds muscle and burns fat, speeding up your metabolism in the process and ultimately leading to weight loss and long term weight control. Weight training also increases bone density

Don’t smoke: Besides the well-known hazards of smoking, like cancer and heart disease, smoking also lowers fertility levels. It is not only smokers who are affected, but also those exposed to second-hand smoke

Get plenty of sleep: Sleep deprivation increases your levels of stress hormones and resistance to insulin, both of which also contribute to increased risk of heart disease. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night

Vitamin D: Low levels of vitamin D are associated with a significantly greater risk of osteoporosis, rickets, cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancers. Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. If not from sunlight, get Vitamin D from foods like eggs, mushrooms, cod liver oil, and oily fish like mackerel and sardines

Be regular with preventive care: Schedule screening tests like blood pressure, routine blood work, and for women, mammograms and pap smears. These tests are indicative of your risk for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other health issues

Stretch more: After a workout, stretching for only 10 minutes prevents soreness and promotes recovery and repair

Don’t sweat the small things: Stress is bad for your health. Read a book, go to the movies, get a massage, spend time with friends – whatever will help you unwind and de-stress.

Consume alcohol in moderation: A glass or two of wine or beer can be beneficial for your health. But drink anymore and you are inviting a host of illnesses – cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic pancreatitis, malnutrition, etc

Always warm up: Don’t shrug off this prelude to exercise. Cold muscles won’t be as pliable to work with (without risking tears) as warm ones. Try gentle movements, like walking, to prepare your muscles before leaping into a rigorous workout