‘Socially-distanced sport’ “During the peak of the COVID storm – between April and June - I formulated a new routine when working from home. I started with daily morning walks at a nearby playground, and evening walks on the terrace. Breathing fresh air on the terrace, catching the sunset at dusk, and observing birds as they flew overhead, were indeed amazing. From August onwards, I got back to the tennis court. Thankfully, it is a Covid-friendly game with enormous social distancing. Playing for an hour in the morning makes me feel fit.”
New tunes “During the lockdown, I indulged in a new hobby: cooking. Under the watchful eyes of my wife, I dabbled in cooking a few dishes. Now, I am more confident in making a few of them in a much-refined way in the future. On the music front, I could spend a lot more time playing my flute. It was like moving from under-grad to graduation. Moreover, I also learned to play a few lovely film songs during the lockdown, which further energised me and kept me occupied. Spending time at home with my family was soul-fulfilling.”
KE Ranganathan learnt a few lovely film songs during the lockdown. Giving back “Since the beginning of the pandemic, I consciously avoided looking into too much data on Covid – be it TV or newspapers. I kept myself updated once relevant information about the virus, including that on preventive measures, was released. Attitude-wise, I definitely became a little wiser, looking at a world full of pandemic chaos. Covid has undoubtedly had a negative impact on people’s lives and their livelihoods. I started helping the needy in my own way by providing financial aid. While I was always giving back to society in some manner, Covid made me realize that I need to do much more – especially in times of crisis.”
New normal, old routine “I created an office room in my home during April-Jun when WFH was the norm. I dressed like I normally would, and walked into my home office, in keeping with my old routine. That way, I did not allow myself to slip into the difficult world of Covid-induced hide-and-seek. Stress, thankfully, was never in my dictionary. Things like playing tennis, enjoying music, watching light comedy shows, and praying to god are things I practise to lead a stress-free life. They have helped me stay calm even in extreme situations.”
WFH look “I tried to give a new look to my face by growing a beard. I gave it up in a couple of weeks as I felt a beard looked weird on me. Though everyone around me complimented me about it, I chose to go back to my earlier appearance. Precisely, the fact that I had so many video calls every day to stay in touch with my teams in business and also customers and external people, made me feel I need to be very much normal in my look and feel.”
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Acing Lockdown Fitness: How Zoomcar CEO, Vinati Organics Head & Other Bosses Have Kept Themselves In Shape
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Not to shy away from difficult situations, these bosses share how they stayed in shape while stuck at home:
Not to shy away from difficult situations, these bosses share how they stayed in shape while stuck at home:
Dattatri Salagame, MD, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions
“I’ve taken up the challenge of how long I can hold a plank. From the earlier one minute, I can now plank up to close to two minutes. I want to get better. I plan on setting a new record soon. Holding the plank was something I always wanted to get better at in order to build my core.”
Dattatri Salagame, MD, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions“I’ve taken up the challenge of how long I can hold a plank. From the earlier one minute, I can now plank up to close to two minu..
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Vinati Saraf Mutreja, CEO, Vinati Organics
“I participated in the SOHFIT Reboot Challenge organised by a business organisation for its members. It was for 30 days and we were divided into teams, sharing details of our exercise regimen, food, water intake and sleep schedules with each other on a daily basis. Though I have been a hardcore fitness enthusiast for the better part of my li fe, this chal lenge proved to be the ultimate fitness experience. I was motivated to push my boundaries to the extreme and felt a sense of achievement and success when the chal lenge was completed. It made me feel stronger, fitter and happier.”
Vinati Saraf Mutreja, CEO, Vinati Organics“I participated in the SOHFIT Reboot Challenge organised by a business organisation for its members. It was for 30 days and we were divided into teams, shari..
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Sumant Sinha, CMD, ReNew Power
“My wife Vaishali and I have entered into a fitness and weight loss competition. We are both trying to get in shape and so far, she’s comfortably ahead of me. But there’s still some time to go.”
Sumant Sinha, CMD, ReNew Power“My wife Vaishali and I have entered into a fitness and weight loss competition. We are both trying to get in shape and so far, she’s comfortably ahead of me. But there’..
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Sanjay Swamy. Managing partner, Prime Venture Partners
“I decided to use this opportunity to improve my physical conditioning. I started cycling (after more than 40 years) inside my gated community from mid-April. I went from seven kilometres per ride to 20 kilometres by the end of June. Recently, I did a 52-kilometre ride to Chikka Tirupathi [on the outskirts of Bengaluru]. Cycling has had a huge impact, not just on my physical conditioning but also my confidence.”
Sanjay Swamy. Managing partner, Prime Venture Partners“I decided to use this opportunity to improve my physical conditioning. I started cycling (after more than 40 years) inside my gated community fr..
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Vineeta Singh, CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics
“Startups are quite demanding, so I’ve never been able to work out more than three days a week, even when I trained for the Ironman Triathlon. So, when the lockdown was announced, I decided to challenge myself with a ‘consistency goal’ of accomplishing a workout a day. It began with coordinated workouts on Zoom with my friends and as restrictions eased, I started going for outdoor runs. There were days when there would be so many calls that I’d be seen climbing the building stairs at 10 pm. I now have more than 100 days of workouts under my belt and it has been the biggest stressbuster.”
Vineeta Singh, CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics“Startups are quite demanding, so I’ve never been able to work out more than three days a week, even when I trained for the Ironman Triathlon. So, when the lockdown..
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Greg Moran, CEO, Zoomcar
“During the lockdown, I have managed to master single-leg burpees. It’s important to have a defined schedule and stick to it. I ensure that I block out some time during the day for exercise. I work out at home daily with various bodyweight exercises — I do pushups, burpees and air squats. I love doing CrossFit and high-intensity interval training that combines weightlifting, aerobics, powerlifting and gymnastics.”
Greg Moran, CEO, Zoomcar“During the lockdown, I have managed to master single-leg burpees. It’s important to have a defined schedule and stick to it. I ensure that I block out some time during the da..
