Football, gym, golf: Karun Nair’s multi-pronged exercise regime

It takes some extraordinary fitness to ensure that you score a 300 in your third Test match. And, 26-year-old Karun Nair achieved that feat in 2016 against England. Only recently, he scored a century in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals against Delhi but his team did not qualify for the finals. The youngster who has been making news for all the right reasons shares his fitness routine.

“When we are having a run of matches, I don’t engage in a rigorous fitness regime as I’m already on the field for a long time. I then continue with my fitness exercises only on break days. Most of the things are done in the morning by 6.30-7 am, so that I’m done in an hour or two and then I can go for breakfast. I plan my day in such a way that I am done by the first half with fitness routine and can relax for the rest of the day,” Nair says.

HIS FITNESS MANTRA
- Playing football and table tennis can help you stretch as well as build stamina. I suggest everyone should play these games often to be at the top of their fitness.

- Golf is another great sport. It aids the mind more than the body. It helps in concentrating.

- Gym exercises are good and should always be a mix of runs, strength and power training.

- Keep time for rest, it is important.

- Eating right is a must, never skip meals — especially breakfast.



Like most sportsmen, Nair believes the trainer is the boss and follows whatever they tell him to do. “My fitness exercises depend on what the trainer tells me to do. There are days for running, strength training and power sessions in the gym. These days the power exercises and Olympic listing ones are in trend as everyone is doing them. Trainers use it since cricket is a power game,” he adds.

While cricket is his passion, he prefers playing football in his spare time along with his fellow Karnataka Ranji teammates, “I play football when we have an offseason. There are a lot of cricketers in Bengaluru and we have formed a team of six or seven of us. I also play table tennis if a table is available anywhere — be it a club or a sports room. Playing football and table tennis regularly has helped my fitness,” he says.

Golf is another sport Nair has added to the mix. It helps him train his mind. “I also play a lot of golf. I started playing it recently and try to practice every month. I do this to get my mind off cricket. Playing with a stationary ball teaches you to stay in the moment and be present,” he says.