Fitness in COVID times: Not just cool but calculated

The state has certainly changed from the days when a young
lad would play a tough physical game of football in the evening and then go
home once the sun set. Exhausted but feeling good from all that physical
exertion. This was a practice many continued well into middle-age as the
midriff thickened and the pace decreased. The body received its workout perhaps
not every day but at least once a week.  Now of course the demands on the
modern working man and women living in Goa has changed. It may not be possible
to follow the old ways with ease. Living with COVID, the world has opened up. Awareness levels
have increased and people are now looking at more options to maintain their
physical and mental wellbeing. Be it yoga, or zumba, they have all got their dedicated base.
Sravan has been in the business for over ten years conducting yoga classes. He
said “Business was very good before the virus struck but now people are scared.
I conduct classes in Campal next to the clinic. We now maintain social
distancing. The crowd is usually a mixture of Goans and outsiders settled here.
I also conduct session in Candolim during the season but now this year with the
virus I may do that much later in the year depending on the situation on the
ground. As a yoga instructor I can say this demand is good and growth will look
positive for a very long time.” Nelson Paes, a MMA fighter has moved smoothly into creating a
company focused on physical fitness said wellness as an industry was booming in
Goa. He said “People have realized the imp of wellbeing. It is now massive.
People are very health conscious. Remember our mothers used to feed us roti
with sugar and the general feeling was that a bit of a belly was ok. And in
middle age, it was due to the passage of time. But now people have realized
that the belly is very dangerous”.  He said his company now provided home
trainers, online trainers to clients in Goa. He said high end guests from Delhi
wanted trainers to come home. Nelson said people in Goa now realized the
importance of fitness in the state. He said “People now realize the importance
of cardio and it is no longer a word to be dropped in conversation”. He said
even kids now understand the jargon. He was conducting online home training
from his studio and the company was providing trainers to approximately 28-30 clients
every day. They strictly followed the sops and he said he intend to upscale
further and take advantage of the boom. Another activity that has caught the fancy of the young is
Zumba. Nicole Dsa said she started in 2016 and what was visible now was the
dramatic increase in awareness. She said “Earlier there were less clinics but
now more people want to join and I conduct my classes in Calangute. We get 5-15
students per session and this dependent on the time. When there are master
classes taking place then scores of people come for it and it is so
invigorating to see people of all shapes and sizes  joining in. I intend
to resume classes in a month or two.” Dancing your way to fitness is an idea that has certainly
caught the attention of the ladies. Raquel Fernandes has been involved in dance
fitness for more than 5 to 6 years. She said “I am a professional dancer. Right
now I am not conducting classes or even online ones because it does not work
for everyone. People want to follow and some people take time to follow certain
moves. I will be starting lives classes soon”. She said there was a dramatic
increase in interest levels. Ladies, she said came to lose weight and increase
stamina. For many she said the change has been drastic from where they were to
what they become now. Business wise, she said it was good because there would
always be ladies interested in losing weight. Then there is swimming. Jolene Blanche has been conducting
classes for sixteen years. She used to conduct them at a hotel in Panjim but
now conducts private lessons in Saipem and Nagoa. She said “Demand surges
during the summer and just after the monsoons amongst Goan children but with
others like expatriates they have no problem swimming even in the rain”.
Awareness of the benefits of swimming she said had certainly increased which
was a good sign. One can only hope more people start participating in healthy
activities to ensure they live a fruitful life.