WHAT FITNESS MEANS TO THE NEW MANI

GONE ARE THE DAYS WHEN THE WORD 'WORKOUT' EVOKED THE SOUNDS OF WEIGHTS SLAMMING DOWN, GUTTURAL CRIES AND FUMES OF TOXIC MASCULINITY. NOWADAYS, A WORKOUT DOES NOT JUST WORK YOUR MUSCLES, BUT YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL

- MALINI BANERJEE

LUKE COUTINHO 

When 22-year-old state powerlifting champion Piyush (name changed) walked into Radhika's Balanced Body, he might have done so on an orthopaedic doctor's advice. “He had injured his back so badly that he could barely sit or stand still,” says founder Radhika Karle. But after twelve sessions with Radhika’s team, he’s back to training and has since overcome his scepticism about the form of exercise. Piyush, like many other men, are turning to a more comprehensive form of exercise that goes beyond the physical and aesthetic.

Karle noticed the renewed interest in Pilates from men after the pandemic. “It served as a wake-up call. People had more time on their hands to exercise. Stress and anxiety levels were at an all-time high. Men started reaching out to our studio for better mobility, but discovered that Pilates, with its mind-body connection, was great for stress, anxiety and even depression,” says Karle.

As A Whole

The eponymous founder of Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems or LCHHS, who practices in the field of Holistic Nutrition — Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine, is another proponent of training one’s mind as well as the body. “It is an approach many men are turning to”, says Coutinho. “Men are looking towards a more holistic approach because they are realising that just focusing on the physical aspect is counterproductive. Fitness is not just about having a great body but also, about your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. How you sleep, your quality of life... all of it is an important factor.”