Let me start by thanking Zainab for inviting me to share my fitness journey with her readers. I am glad she found my experience worth sharing with others.

Blessed to have a lean body structure:

I was always blessed with a lean body. My metabolism was also good and I could eat fried stuff and all the fattening stuff without being bothered about my weight. Also, I always had a thinner upper body and thus appeared lean. Yes, I know I am blessed. You should see my thunder thighs!

But since my dad was very fitness conscious, since childhood he had instilled in me that regular exercise is very important for a healthy lifestyle. That made me get to the gym but fitness never became a part of a daily routine until three years back.

[Tweet “I was overweight and my body wasn’t flexible at all. I couldn’t even touch my toes. When I was asked to squat, I couldn’t go down at all. My legs wobbled. It was a wake- up call.@Aeshashah17”]

It was three years back that I found my fitness companion. When I moved to a new building I found my friend Neha who was equally concerned about health and fitness. We joined a yoga class. That day made me truly fitness conscious person. I met my first Yoga Guru, MsHemangiMarathe. There was something different in that place where she conducted her yoga classes. The place was extremely welcoming and the vibes were very positive. It changed my outlook towards fitness. I understood that though I looked lean and fit, I wasn’t.

I was overweight and my body wasn’t flexible at all. I couldn’t even touch my toes. When I was asked to squat, I couldn’t go down at all. My legs wobbled. It was a wake- up call.

The Beginning:

That’s when I started my journey towards healthy living. I cut down my intake of sugar, fried food, and my most favourite chocolates. It was tough but very essential. Earlier, I believed that I could eat anything because I exercised. I was wrong. Healthy eating and proper sleep are equally important to maintain a healthy body weight and for overall fitness.

Thanks to the guidance of my second most favourite person as I speak about my fitness, Ms Reema Vengurlekar (Sorry Reema, first one will always be Brian D’souza) I became more flexible. Reema persuaded me to try all the tough asanas and in a matter of 2 years, I gathered the courage of performing the ‘Sirsasana’ about which I hadn’t thought in my wildest of dreams. I was only aiming to touch my toes. I would also like to mention all my yoga companions here for the support they gave me during practice time.

The Journey:

While I was focusing on building my body flexibility and was feeling very content with my fitness regime, came along my most favourite fitness crazy trainer, Brian D’souza. Along with yoga, we were now asked by our yoga guru to try out strength building exercises. Because to perform the various yoga asanas we needed to build strength in our muscles as well.

More than fitness:

Strength training sessions three days a week along with three days of Ashtanga Yoga was my daily routine for more than 6 months. It changed me as a person. I became more confident in myself as well. I started loving my body and myself more. It helped me focus on my writing. It was during this time that I decided that I want to write not only because it’s my hobby or my passion but because I want to be identified as a writer. 

Thus, fitness for me is not a part of my life but a way of my life.

 

The journey continues:

But as every life journey has roadblocks, my fitness routine also suffered a brief one for some part of last year. I felt a need to dedicate my mornings to writing as it was the best time of the day for me and my regular strength training routine took a back seat. Though it was also a time when I learnt to swim and would occasionally perform yoga asanas at home, it wasn’t regular.

But as they say, “It’s never too late to start” and after irregular exercise routine of one year, I am back to training at least 5 days a week since the past two months. These five days now includes 3 days of CrossFit training and two days of cardio.

You can read about my CrossFitworkout by clicking on the hyperlink.

My learnings:

From my personal experience, I want to convey to everyone who is reading this, that it’s very natural to falter and stop doing what you would love but it’s also easy to re-join because that’s what you loved so much at one point. While it took me quite some time to get back and I had a few very tough days when I would come home and cry because my body gave away, today it’s only because of my tough trainer and his motivation that I at the age of 38 years can attempt exercises which men who are younger to me by at least 10 years find tough.

 

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank Zainab firstly as she is one of the first fitness bloggers whom I followed and discussed my fitness routine. Also, all my exercise companions with whom I share my fitness journey over the past few years and also those whom I met last month.

Do share about your fitness routine as well with us. I love interacting with my readers and fitness is one of my favourite topics to discuss. So, let’s get going and pour in your thoughts, stories and opinions in the comments.

Here’s wishing all of you a very Healthy Life!

 

Aesha Shah is a mother, blogger, explorer.   ‘Aesha’s musings‘ is all about her experiences as a mother, daughter, wife, friend, companion, the partner in crime and each of that fact that all of us will identify with.  Her blog is a platform for a simple tete-a-tete where like-minded sound individuals like us can simply connect.