Raw Power

Using rustic fitness moves is a good way to boost your stamina, build muscle and, most important, give your mind an overhaul after your daily overdose of technology. Start with the “farmer’s walk.”

- Arun Sarin

“FITNESS IS IN THE MIND.” WE’VE HEARD that at some point, of course. It’s just that the stubborn gut, or the flabbiness cultivated by years of inertia, refuses to agree. The best thing to do if you’ve been out of shape for a while is to ease into it.

Start with moves—in the gym or otherwise—that are extensions of unconscious muscle moves, the kind they show on TV in The World’s Strongest Man. Most of these are evolutions of commonplace actions or chores, if you want to call them that. These exercises are fluid, easy to move into and focus on making your body accustomed to more work in terms of fitness. They also help you challenge any weaknesses in balance, fortifying your core and making you seem a lot “tougher.”

You can’t really overstress the importance of balance during working out and in general, because a lack of balance commonly leads to injury or aches and pains. If a certain plane of muscles is under-utilised, you tend to have poor form and that can make you more injury-prone.