Tarini Jindal Handa says fitness is in her genes, learnt importance of exercise from dad Sajjan

Tarini Jindal Handa, MD of JSW Living, says fitness, both physical and mental, is very important.

Body
“Fitness is everything for me. I think a fit body is a fit mind. My father [Sajjan Jindal] taught us that fitness is the most important thing in the world. If you’re not fit, nothing in the world can compensate. Everyone in my family starts their morning by working out. If I don’t work out, I don’t feel good. I can really feel the difference.


“I do some form of exercise every day. On Sundays, I take it a little easy. I won’t go to the gym, but I’ll try and go for a walk or a swim. I try and get some physical activity done. In the gym, I do a mix of bootcamp and cross-fit. I make sure to include yoga and pilates into my regimen as well. I always prefer to exercise in the morning.

“I love to swim. Swimming is a great way to de-stress. When I am in the water, there is no phone and no sound. I put my head under the water and it’s all gone. That’s something I really enjoy. I want to try my hand at surfing too. I am not very good at sports, but I enjoy playing tennis with my daughter.

“I’m a vegetarian and I don’t eat eggs either. The foods I like can be found in a normal Indian diet. A lot of green vegetables, lentils and yogurt are some of the staples I enjoy. To keep my mind sharp, I eat five almonds a day, soaked overnight.”


Mind
“About two-and-a-half years ago, I had gone to Rishikesh to train as a Kundalini yoga teacher. I have since been practising that for 20 minutes on my own. It’s my own form of meditation practice involving music and chanting. I am such a hyper person that I don’t think I can just sit and meditate, so I practice my own version. “I think mental health is very important. As a country, we should not shy away about talking about it. In India, we often have a great support system. We have our families and friends; it’s quite an inclusive society. Maybe that’s why people feel they don’t need therapists. But with people leading more individual lives and families becoming smaller, the need for mental health awareness is apparent now.

There needs to be a huge shift in the available facilities, and we need to make mental health a priority.”

Soul
“I chant and sing to keep my soul peaceful. God is in us. He is everywhere, in every particle on the planet. You just need to connect with that. My soul is truly at peace around sunset, when the day is over and the children are playing. Looking at the sunset makes me feel grateful.”