Stay young with Zumba

Keep challenging yourself to look good and feel young says Shwetambari Shetty, Zumba educational specialist to Arundhati Pattabhiraman

She is the queen of Zumba in the city, having taken this fun fitness format to great heights and attracting a large following. As one of the City’s top fitness professionals, Shwetambari Shetty’s foray into the world of Zumba was quite by chance, but her passion for healthy living is what made her take it up as a profession.

Born into an athletic family, Zumba gave Shwetambari a perfect balance of two of her favourite things — dance and sports. Having started with a single student, Shwetambari runs a packed schedule of classes all across the City. Now, as a Zumba educational specialist — master trainer India at Cult, Shwetambari is changing lives with her fun fitness mantra. Here she talks about Zumba, ways to stay healthy, and exercise no-nos:

What is your daily regime like?
The two important parts of my daily routine are exercising and eating right. I try to exercise six times a week and eat clean healthy meals as prescribed by my nutritionist.

What has been the biggest challenge for fitness in India?
We treat fitness as a luxury and not as a necessity. We only exercise to lose weight if a best friend’s wedding is around the corner or because the doctor has advised us to drop 5 to 10 kg for health reasons. Only a small percentage of people exercise to stay fit, to be strong and to age gracefully. The reason for this is lack of awareness about the real need for exercise and lack of training formats that can make workouts fun.

More and more people are leaning towards alternative fitness techniques like Zumba, pilates & yoga. What could be the reason?
Group fitness classes are interactive and create a healthy competition. Yoga has always been one of the most sought-after group fitness activities. Only now, more and more people are resorting to it because of greater awareness about its benefits. Pilates is still a niche fitness format in India due to the lack of awareness and trainers. Zumba, on the other hand, is just what people need, as it is fun and addictive. An hour of Zumba, with great music and easy-to-follow fitness choreography, will help one burn at least 500 to 900 calories. Which other fitness training can boast of bringing a smile on people’s faces and help them lose weight at the same time?

Apart from shredding or weight loss, what are the other benefits of taking up Zumba?
Zumba is a “stress-busting” workout. It helps you enhance your cardiovascular endurance, and builds your stamina better than most other cardio activities. It improves your co-ordination, stability, balance and flexibility. All in all, Zumba is known to make one happy, forget one’s worries, and benefit the mind and body.

 
What advice do you have for beginners and those who are shy in class?
Bring a friend along for your first class if you are shy or intimidated.

Give yourself at least four classes of Zumba to get familiar with the movements.
Don’t worry if you have never exercised, Zumba allows you to take your class at your own pace. You can listen to your body, do as much as you can, and you will not be compelled to perform in a certain manner.

Have a small pre-workout meal before class, like almonds, a banana, a small bowl of oats or a small sandwich, basically a healthy carb snack.

Which five workout routines do you recommend for a busy professional?
Exercise or workout does not necessarily have to be an hour a day. It can be for 45 minutes, three times a week, or even for 20 to 30 minutes, five times a week. A busy professional, who is travelling or working long hours, should spend at least 15 minutes a day exercising.

Squatting is an important movement that will keep your entire body engaged and make your lower body strong.

Plank also engages the whole body, but primarily works on your core strength.

Skipping at home is a great exercise to help build stamina, and is a good cardio activity.

Push-ups on walls, chairs, benches or floors are good to build strength in your arms, shoulders, chest and back.

Walking up the stairs is great for building stamina and keeping your heart healthy.

Get up from your desk and move every 30 minutes or an hour. Your body is designed to move and movement burns calories. Try to keep a tracker and if you can walk 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day, you are absolutely sorted.

 
What are some of the common workout mistakes that one must avoid?
Don’t stick to one type of training because you love it. If you follow just one type of training, your body is likely to hit a plateau and the workout will not make a difference because your body is so used to it. But if you keep challenging yourself with different workouts, the results will be quicker. You must incorporate weight training at least twice in your weekly fitness routine. This will help you build muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the stronger you will be, and the more gracefully you will age.

Do we meet international standards of fitness in India?
We have just begun. It’s good to see that people are embracing different formats of fitness and doing more than just hitting the gym. It’s a great thing to see housewives head to a Zumba class and take care of their health. Given our sedentary lifestyles and our stressful jobs, fitness is the need of the hour. Exercising, meditating and eating right are vital for a healthy lifestyle.