Simran Chopra, a teacher at La Martiniere for Girls, has been doing yoga every evening followed by a session of brisk walking on her terrace since the lockdown began in March.
n Homemaker Aditi Ghosh enrolled for an online Pilates session after her society shut down the swimming pool, tennis court and the gymnasium to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
n Divyansh Wadhwani (8) and his parents have been doing aerobics every evening after he started missing his cricket coaching.
Kolkatans are not only working from home but also working out from home to beat lockdown blues and address issues stemming from a sedentary lifestyle.
With swimming pools, parks and sporting facilities shut due to the lockdown, people who had a fitness regimen of either running or swimming or working out, were left confined to their homes. “Yoga and walking has not only helped me stay fit but also kept me mentally calm,” said Chopra, a resident of Camac Street.
Almost all housing complexes shut down their gyms, swimming pools and tennis courts at the start of the lockdown, pushing residents into ennui and despair. Aditi Ghosh, a resident of DLF Heights in New Town enrolled herself in an online Pilates class to stay fit. “I would swim everyday and run in the complex. But all that has stopped now. So I took up pilates. After every session, I feel refreshed and energetic.”
According to health experts, lack of physical activity also takes a toll on the mental health of people of all ages. Divyansh’s father, Jai and mother Saloni, switch on the music every evening and do aerobics and other freehand exercises with their son. “The idea is to make him beat the lockdown blues. He is missing cricket at his school, where they would practise every day. But the lockdown has made him irritable. So, we also decided to workout with him to keep him active,” Saloni said.
Mumbai-based yoga instructor Prathamesh Bandekar said yoga has a calming affect on both the body and the mind. “Some of the asanas help strengthen the respiratory system,” Bandekar said.
Health experts say a balanced diet, comprising fruits, vegetables and nuts, is important.
Source:Times of India
