Entrepreneurs should focus on their diet and exercise. In India, with so many options for delicious food, entrepreneurs tend to blame stress for their poor food habits, but won’t make active lifestyle changes. The entrepreneurs who take pride in their health and wellness, ensure that they get enough exercise and have fruits, salads regularly.
It is with this same passion and conviction that Vishal Gondal started GOQii, which is a wearable device that helps people stay fit. One of his prized accomplishments is completing the 100 km Oxfam Trailwalk in 35 hours. An avid fitness enthusiast, he developed the app after his own personal experiences with travelling and fitness.
“I bought all fitness bands and fitness apps. I used them for a few weeks and then I chucked them away because nothing helped. My biggest problem was that I used to travel a lot—10-15 days a month—which meant outside food and no exercise that made matters worse. To cut a long story short, since then, I have done eight half marathons, three ultras, and lost more weight. More importantly, I was able to successfully make a change in my lifestyle. That did not happen with technology, but with a marriage of technology and a human. And since I had seen and used all these other products (referring to fitness bands), I realized that the users were missing the human connect.”
Fitness is an addictive thing, and it’s something that can get people hooked to make positive changes. Ankur Warikoo, CEO of Nearby was diagnosed with AVN - Avascular Necrosis, and had to undergo surgery and recovery. This took a toll on his body and he started to pack on more weight. He decided to go on the fitness journey and cut out all sugars and reduced his carbs. He went to the gym every day and didn’t skip workouts.
He lost weight in the double digits, coming back to a sustainable weight. His secret was motivation and passion. He set a goal and achieved it.
“I wasn't even a morning person for the longest time. However, about a year and a half ago, I underwent a hip surgery that had me in bed for three months, and on crutches for the next five months. It was an experience that made me realise that fitness was very important. I completely changed my schedule, and today, I work out in the gym from 6.15 to 7.45 for six days a week. While travelling, I stay in hotels with well-equipped gyms. Even if I have to work long hours, I make it a point to exercise for at least 15-30 minutes.”
What about diet? Which diet is best for the busy entrepreneur who wants to plan everything in advance and not think too much. The Keto diet seems to be catching on as an off-shoot of Silicon Valleys’ obsession with low-carb. Scientifically, it’s also proven to reduce blood sugar problems and create lowered insulin resistance. Ideally, a balanced approach to nutrition must be taken, with emphasis on vegetables, carbs and no sugars.
Jyotsna Pattabiraman, Founder and CEO, Grow Fit, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to get better fitness results for entrepreneurs.
“Our menus are based on a lot of painstaking research and hence our results are 10 times better than industry standards.”
She uses technology to solve the problem of diet and nutrition and has more than 1 lakh downloads of her premium app. She thinks that the change in mindset is coming, but it’s slow at the moment.
“Often when people want to lose weight, they cut down on oil and butter, which is not a great idea. What is more problematic is carbs and sugar. We recommend a high-protein diet with high fibre content.”
So, what’s the best type of workout?
According to researchers in the health and sciences industry, there is no conclusive answer yet. Some say that steady-state cardio is the best, while others claim High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) to be better. In the end, it’s always better to do something than nothing. So, whether it’s 30 minutes or an hour, dedicate that time to doing something beneficial for your body. You can even join a sport or train hard at the gym. Ensure that it matches your personality trait.
For example, if you are fuelled by pushing yourself, then train for marathons. However, if you like to be comfortable and happy, then go for activities that involve sports or yoga training. Whatever the case may be, you should continue on a certain workout regimen until you see results. Consistency is key, and doing it daily helps boost your metabolism, as your mitochondria prepares new energy cells for effective usage in the future.
Any workout that boosts your mood and helps you stay focused at work is a good one!