When the world faced the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic early last year, we didn’t know what to expect. As governments plunged headlong into closings of countries and states, some cooked, some cleaned, some baked bread or made coffee, while many got used to working from home. But, along with the good and bad and everything mentioned before, it created a predicament for everyone – our health was badly affected. With gyms, outdoor activities, and literally all forms of interactive sports shut down to help contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, people had no choice but to remain caged, aside from the occasional stretching of arms and legs or minimal walks being taken in case one had a terrace. For the unfortunate ones who did not have access to such open spaces, they had to hide in apartments.
THE STRESS FACTOR
It affected our mental health in ways we could imagine. Mrs. Rita Roy, a Hyderabad clinical psychologist affiliated with Chetana Hospital, explains how. “The mind and body work together, we call it mind-body dualism. When our minds are stressed it will definitely affect the body and it will be fatal in the long run. In many cases we’ve seen psychosomatic illnesses like arthritis, heart disease in patients from coping with stress, and the pandemic has been linked to other problems too. “
Ms. Roy’s words are underlined by the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its findings how the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted critical mental health services in over 90 percent of countries in the world, and in many places, while the demand after mental health increases.
FITNESS REVOLUTION
As 2020 gave way to 2021, a deadly second wave followed, causing thousands of deaths every day, but amid the inevitable, there was also a silver lining on the horizon as people chose to take the situation confidently. Given the frequent limitations of health centers, the fitness consciousness saw a revolutionary level of engagement among many. And much of it was sustainable and easily accessible. One of the most popular forms of exercise that was adopted by many was Zumba, which combined elements of dance and aerobics with music, mainly Latin, although it is now known to combine any kind of upbeat music to accompany the fitness routine .
The Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN) trainers became a huge hit with fitness enthusiasts, and during the pandemic it helped that many of their training videos are even available online, although training with a ZIN trainer is ideally recommended.
STAYING ONLINE WORKOUT
Sonali Dutta, who holds courses online and offline in Calcutta, says: “Fitness is no longer limited to getting a fitter body to wear the desirable dress or getting in shape before the big day – Covid-19 has led people more to holistic health. In addition to physical well-being, people are more focused on their emotional and spiritual happiness after this world-changing pandemic. Because of the lockdown, people stayed in houses, which in turn led to a sedentary lifestyle. “
Sonali says she found positive attitudes in most people as the pandemic continued. “People are now more focused on improving their overall health, and this is where we can see a steep rise in virtual training trends. This pandemic has also increased the importance of cardiovascular health, where Zumba plays an important role in improving people’s not only physical but also mental wellbeing as everyone is more focused on uniting these two aspects of overall health. “
Sonali’s words are supported by Reshmi Dhole, whose health has changed dramatically, both physically and mentally, over the past year when she adopted Zumba as a form of exercise. “As an obese patient with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), losing weight has long been a challenge for me, and when Covid-19 struck, lockdown and the work-from-home scenario affected my health more than ever.”
“Coupled with a demanding career, my deteriorating physical health was almost on the verge of breaking down emotionally and otherwise. In a literally life-saving moment, I came across an especially fun workout session with Zumba and after a year of now exercising three times a week it has undoubtedly helped me more than anything. It definitely made my life better than before. “
A COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUS EFFORT
Sonali believes that conscious efforts to stay fit will persist. “A conclusion that most people have drawn from the past two years is that a healthy lifestyle is the only way to stand a chance with such life-threatening viruses, along with on-demand medical treatment, of course, and at other age-related levels Aspects aside. So, in my opinion, the idea of a fitter, healthier mind and body will not go away easily once the pandemic is over. “
Reshmi repeats Sonali’s feelings. “Almost everyone has started prioritizing healthy eating and sustainable lifestyles, and the reason is obvious, they want immunity to this deadly virus. People are now willingly taking responsibility for staying healthy in the truest sense of the word. “
PAD THE WAY FOR FITNESS
For Rituparna Saha, the choice fell on cycling. The Calcutta-based IT expert had never ridden a bike before and decided to change that amid the pandemic. “During the lockdown, when the restrictions eased a bit, I took this as a challenge. I had nowhere to go and only worked from home and as such, partly out of boredom and also to stay fit, I took it up. “
Rituparna also firmly believes that the fitness cyclone will not die out anytime soon. “The fact that a virus is floating around and can turn into deadly or transmissible forms is probably one of the greatest fears that makes people want to go for fitter overall health incapable of affecting us badly.”
Rituparna also told a heartwarming story when she made a young friend who also rides her bike. “I had already learned to ride a horse a few months ago when this woman who collects rubbish from our neighborhood came up to me and asked me to teach her 11-year-old daughter how to ride too. Pinky is going with me today too. ”
Maintaining physical health is of the utmost importance, but Ms. Roy also points out the need to relieve stress in order for the mind and body to be able to do so. “Deep breathing, relaxation exercises help to make our breath rhythmic. You also have to tell your mind not to “catastrophize” a situation and assume the worst-case scenario. Get your daily dose of beauty sleep too, “says Dr. Roy.
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