SPINNING A MASH-UP OF YOGA ‘N’ GYM
DJ and reality show host Nikhil Chinapa on how he keeps fit amid endless travelling and iffy meals
Constantly juggling between hosting TV shows, and organising and performing at music festivals, it is not easy to be in Nikhil Chinapa’s shoes. Naturally for Nikhil, staying fit and leading a healthy lifestyle is more of a necessity than choice. He sustains a lifestyle that entails a lot of travelling, especially “late night travelling” and “erratic meals”.
“I have to maintain a high work rate, and therefore things like fitness and diet are of utmost importance for me,” he says, adding, “If I don’t do those two things right, I won’t be able to work as efficiently as I would like to.”
A BALANCED FITNESS REGIME
Nikhil is a firm believer that, like a balanced diet, it is important to follow a balanced fitness regime, as well. His usual exercise sessions go on for about an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes. They comprise a combination of strength training and cardio exercises. “I do running for about 20 to 25 minutes. And I spend the rest of the time in training my core and strength. I don’t focus on any particular body part or a group of muscles that I have to build. So, it’s a combination of freehand exercises and some weight lifting,” he elaborates.
OBSESSION WITH LIFTING WEIGHTS
Nikhil says it “maybe psychological” that until he lifts weights, he doesn’t feel that he has worked out. Explaining further, the 46-year-old says, “I know it’s not true, but until I have lifted some weights I don’t feel good about myself. It doesn’t have to be lifting heavy weights but just some time of may be working on your biceps or chest. I feel like lifting weights makes me feel like I have done some exercising.”
THE YOGA-GYM PARTNERSHIP
Nikhil discovered yoga about three years back, and although he isn’t practising it these days, he feels it helped him achieve his fitness goals in a better way.
“I think I discovered yoga at the right age. Although, there is no such thing as the right age for yoga, and one can do it at any point in their lives, I say I found it at the right time because of the kind of lifestyle I am leading. I have been exercising in the gym since I was 16 or 17 years old, and I did it for 15 to 20 years. I have realised that both yoga and gym are equally important, and their combination is ideal,” Nikhil says.
On how yoga and gym complement each other, he says, “I found that yoga made my strength training better, and the strength training made my yoga better. I am not doing it right now, but I really want to get back to doing yoga again. When that happens, I do yoga three days [a week], and the other three days I do mix of cardio and strength training.”