Amit Burman’s Time-tested Therapy

Amit Burman,

50, Chairman of Dabur India, has always been serious about fitness – something he learnt from his father, late G.C. Burman. “My father was also a fitness conscious person. I have grown up seeing him go about his fitness routine without fail.” So, it’s no surprise that Burman shows the same discipline. “It runs in the family. So I started early but this really became part of me from around the time I was 20. That was during my college years spent studying abroad.” It has been years since then but Burman’s focus remains steady. Every evening, he hits the gym between 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm. “Exercising has always been a part of me.”

However, the time he gets to spend at the gym has gradually reduced from around 90 minutes to about an hour, he says. “Earlier, I would do cardio for half an hour and weights for about an hour but now I hardly have time left for cardio, which I intend to correct.”

An early riser, Burman is up by around 6.30 am every day and reaches office by about 8 am. It is a habit that has helped him beat the peak hour gridlock en route to Gurgaon.

Burman finds time for working out even if he is travelling. He feels that working out should be part of every business leader’s life because that is the time one can switch off from the world, focus on oneself, and reflect on things – personal and professional. “It rids your body of negative thoughts and toxins, rejuvenates you and leaves you with a positive attitude.”

So, what is his personal fitness goal? “I did a half marathon five to six years ago. In the next three to four months, I want to start my regime and repeat that.”