Your relationship is working. Check out these trainers from India who share both a love and passion for fitness
As of 2020, it has not been possible for everyone to go to the gym. So what could be nicer than exercising with your partner from the comfort of your home? Here are a few couples who bonded and fell in love because of their shared interests in fitness and health.
Lavanya Narain and P Gladston
In 2001 the Bharatanatyam dancer Lavanya Narain (44) decided to learn a new art form. She wanted something more challenging and ended up taking up Kalaripayattu. She enrolled under trainer Shaji John in Besant Nagar, Chennai for her training. There she met her current husband Gladston P (46). “We both lived in Neelankarai. We were also at the same level of learning. So we became friends and started practicing together, ”Gladston recalls.
“It was fun. I didn’t rush anything,” recalls Lavanya. She talks about learning the kalaripayattu techniques, but she might as well talk about her friendship with Gladston – it took them over four years to fall in love. “We got married in the registry office on a pleasant February morning in 2010,” she says.
Since then, they have been training together on their terrace in the mornings. “Now we don’t need anyone to practice guns with. Besides, we both have our strengths. While I can easily remember the sequences and commands, Lavanya is good at getting the details right, ”he explains.
Since 2019 they have been running NeoKalari, which offers training in the form. After the pandemic, the duo moved their sessions online. You are now running three courses a week. “It is good that we have a common interest. Even if we argue about something stupid, we get over it in training. That’s the best, ”laughs Lavanya.
Aditya Arora and Sheenu Arora
Aditya and Sheenu
Aditya Arora (34) and Sheenu Arora (36) met in 2009 at the Fitness First Gym in Konark Place, Delhi. While Aditya was working as a group fitness instructor, Sheenu was a member at the time. “I noticed it during one of the courses. She was fit and eager to learn about training. I guided them and in the end we spent a lot of time together training in the gym. “
A year later, Sheenu came to Aditya as a fitness trainer and they realized that they had a lot in common. “We both started our fitness journey to lose weight. At our heaviest weight, Aditya weighed 108 kg and I weighed 105 kg. We have lost almost 45 kg with years of training. Even though we were fit, we were always worried about getting it back, ”says Sheenu. It was this split tray that made it click.
After training, they went to movie appointments or for a quick bite to a cafe. “We were the black sheep in our gang of friends because we were fitness conscious, ate clean, did not celebrate and did not drink. We didn’t feel pressured to do something we didn’t want, ”Aditya recalls.
Their conversations revolved around fitness. After four years of dating, they married in 2014 and started a new company called Fit by Nature. “We had a baby in 2018 and this year was a bit bumpy. Now we train every day, but not together because one of us has to look after our child, ”says Aditya. After the lockdown, they started offering fitness sessions online.
The couple believe that encouraging each other to stay fit also helped their relationship. “The happiness hormones that are produced during our training together have helped to strengthen our relationship.”
Muhammed Shahid and Hafsa Shahid
Muhammed Shahid and Hafsa Shahid
Muhammed Shahid (31) and Hafsa Shahid (30) are fitness trainers from Malappuram. Although both were health conscious from a young age, it wasn’t until they got married in 2016 that they decided to pursue careers. “Hafsa’s brother is a trainer and runs a chain of fitness centers. We started by running one of the gyms. There we saw a connection between customers and trainers. It felt special and we wanted to try it out. We started training and after six months we started training others, ”he says.
They were certified in 2020. “We waited until we were sure that this was the path we wanted to go for the rest of our lives. Now we know that this is our future, ”he says. Hafsa has also completed a certification course in nutrition and is now providing diet charts to its customers. “People’s nutritional needs vary, and it’s important to find a diet that will help them achieve their fitness goals,” she says. The couple also run a YouTube page called Fitreat Couple.
Shahid and Hafsa help each other stay fit. “Our fitness goals are different, so we don’t have the same workout. But it helps me with my diet. Three years ago, Hafsa gained weight after her pregnancy and I guided her to lose that weight. We make all these decisions after consultation. That strengthened our mutual trust and respect, ”he says.
