We know we should sleep at least eight hours everyday, but we can’t avoid catching up with a friend who lives in the opposite end of the world over Skype. We’ve heard all our life that a balanced diet is the key to good health, but that slice of cheese pizza is just too good to put off. We’re aware that just a 20-minute brisk walk in the morning can boost one’s wellbeing, but after staying awake till midnight, who cares to wake up early?
And what do health and fitness mean to us anyway? Eating right? Sleeping enough? Having a desirable body? Being disease-free?
In this edition of chitchat, we sat down with six youngsters to talk about health and fitness, and what it means to them.
Bhaswor Ojha / Republica
L to R: Salim Bajracharya, Rohan Chandra Shrestha, Aishwarya Rani Singh, Sefina Joshi, Kanchan Madhav Shrestha and Nishant
Acharya.
Participants
Sefina Joshi, 19, St Xavier’s College, Maitighar
Aishwarya Rani Singh, 20, National College, Baluwatar
Salim Bajracharya and Rohan Chandra Shrestha, both 18, Xavier Academy, Lazimpat
Kanchan Madhav Shrestha, 19, a +2 graduate from Nepal Mega College, Babar Mahal
Nishant Acharya, 19, a +2 graduate from United Academy, Kumaripati
What does fitness mean to you?
Sefina: Fitness, for me, is about living a healthy life.
Aishwarya: Fitness means shaping yourself in such a way that you can be confident to present yourself in front of others.
Salim: It’s not about the wellbeing for a certain time period but also about making sure that you’re fit till you grow old.
Kanchan: Fitness means staying healthy physically, mentally as well as socially.
Is there anything in particular that you do to stay fit?
Sefina: I do yoga in the morning and I also love dancing. That’s how I burn calories. And I do it almost regularly.
Aishwarya: I go to the gym. How much regular one becomes regarding fitness depends upon one’s commitment and as far as I believe, I’m committed to it. But sometimes there are up and downs in my schedule, like important college works and other sudden tasks pop up, and I skip gym. However, I make sure I don’t skip much of my gym classes since I pay for it.
Rohan: I don’t do it solely for fitness, but since I love it, I regularly play football. That does help me remain fit.
Kanchan: I do 20 pushups daily. But it also depends on my mood. I don’t do it when I’m unwell.
Salim: Well, there isn’t anything in particular that I do to remain fit. My relatives ask me to eat less as I’ve been gaining a lot of weight, but I don’t have plans of doing so right now.
Nishant: I haven’t done anything as such yet, but I’m planning to go to the gym soon.
What role do you think do food and sleep play in maintaining fitness?
Aishwarya: Food plays a very important role in maintaining fitness. Too much of oily food is not good for health while vegetables and fruits keep you in shape. I believe in eating breakfast like a king, dinner like a pauper.
Salim: Some people don’t eat at all to lose weight, which is very unhealthy. Food is essential to get energy for every little thing you do throughout the day. Healthy eating is the key to fitness.
Kanchan: To remain fit, one should have a balanced diet. And a variety of food items must be consumed, rather than just a particular diet.
Nishant: Even if you eat well and regularly work out, but don’t have a sound sleep, you won’t be healthy.
Rohan: Skipping meals is not good for health, which most people do to lose weight. There should be a balance in the food intake throughout the day. And equal care must be given to the amount of time you sleep. Our bodies need rest after all.
Do you have an ideal body size or shape?
Sefina: Being fit doesn’t mean being like one of those skinny models whom we see in showbiz. Even people who look heavier can carry themselves well. However, to name one, I look up to Miss Nepal 2013 Ishani Shrestha.
Aishwarya: I think the Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen has a perfect body.
Salim: There isn’t a particular person I can point as my ideal body size or shape. But I prefer body that is neither too fat nor too skinny.
Rohan: We shouldn’t judge a person by their appearances. However, I like footballer Christiano Ronaldo’s body.
What is your opinion on the tendency of using pills and steroids for acquiring an ideal body?
Kanchan: That may work for a certain time, but in the long run, it is harmful indeed. These have side effects, which will be regretful in the future.
Aishwarya: Why take the risk when you can be patient and work out healthily so that you can get the desired results without having to worry about the side effects?
Do you think fitness institutions are becoming more commercial these days?
Nishant: You get back a lot from investing in fitness clubs in terms of a healthy body, so I’m okay with it.
Aishwarya: It’s good that the fitness clubs are gaining popularity and that many are getting employment through it.
Kanchan: These institutions should be affordable so that many people can join in for fitness. A range should be fixed for the costs so that it doesn’t differ from one club to the other. However, the resources available also matter.
Sefina: People take fitness as a trend. They are more conscious about joining clubs that are most trendy rather than focusing on the amount of workouts they can do. So it should be taken into consideration that the clubs provide best services in minimum possible costs.
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