ACG MD's fitness secret during lockdown: A home office that turns into a gym

When building his house in suburban Mumbai a couple of years ago, ACG MD Karan Singh carved out space for a home office. Outfitted with video conferencing facilities, six chairs placed around a round table (more collaborative, he says) and a white board, the office is coming handy these days.

Although Singh misses the bonhomie he shares with his colleagues, an unexpected upside to working from home is discovering new music. “At the start of my work day, I spend around 45 minutes preparing notes, responding to emails, the works. There is always music playing in the background. It has helped me discover some new sounds and bands,” Singh tells ETPanache on a video call.

His rap-leaning playlist these days is ‘Candy Paint’ by Post Malone, ‘Higher Place’ by Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, ‘Roses’ by Saint Jhn and ‘Death Bed’ by Powfu.


When work is wrapped up, the home office gives way to the home gym. “My trainer [who supervises his workout sessions virtually] jokes that when everyone goes back to work, they may have piled on a few kilos, while I would have lost many,” Singh says.

Singh has been following a fitness plan since December and has lost 20 kg. Since he was already into the routine, staying the course during the lockdown has been easier. At times, he whips up his own healthy meals. So far, Singh has made baked chicken, vegan pizza, cauliflower rice, rosemary baked sweet potatoes and avocado dark chocolate mousse. While he may listen to a song about candy, evidently he is not consuming any.