Strength training at the gym is popular among the youth these days. However, there are many who prefer to do cardio exercises such as running, cycling, and dancing to burn calories. Orissa POST asked a few youths to share their fitness mantras.
Rajnikant Mohanty from Bhadrak, who lives in Bhubaneswar, prefers cardio exercises. He says, “I was into strength training at the beginning. However, I couldn’t take the strain and developed problems in my spine. Since then I have been doing cardio exercises following the advice of my doctor.”
Doing cardio exercises in open air is always better than burning calories inside the closed environment of a multi-gym. Besides, building muscles in a gym has to be a regular process which you can’t afford to skip even for a day, he says.
“The most important thing is that you don’t need to spend much to do cardio exercises such as running and cycling and you don’t need the assistance of a trainer,” adds Rajnikant.
Regular jogging at a park and a few stretching exercises constitute her fitness routine, says Rasmita Parida, a banker from Nayagarh. “This is the workout routine I have been following for a long time. I spend nearly an hour every day on this routine. You have to be regular if you join a gym. But in the case of cardio, you can do the exercises according to your convenience. Remaining fit is the necessity of the hour. Thanks to the administration, all the parks have been equipped with open air gym equipment to help the youth who are interested in building muscles,” she says.
Barsha Priyadarshini from Bhubaneswar is a gym person. “I prefer gym to cardio to shed my weight because I think cardio is a long-term process. I also feel there are more benefits in going to a gym as we can seek the guidance of professional trainers who not only help you do the correct exercise but can recommend a healthy diet too. Proper diet plays an important role in maintaining our physical and mental fitness. So, I spend more than two hours at the gym to remain fit,” she says.
Pragnya Patnaik from Berhampur says it is very difficult for her to join a gym to remain fit. “As I have to look after my family, I do some exercises at home. Besides, getting involved in vigorous physical activities in a gym can have its side effects too. Therefore, I prefer to walk on my lawn. This apart, your body is designed to get Vitamin D if it is exposed to sunlight in the morning. That is why it is better to work out under the open sky than inside an airconditioned gym,” says Pragnya.
BRATATI BARAL, OP