The Notepad: Mehak Taherani

Mehak Teharani shares six tips and tricks to get the most out of your fitness regime and doing what feels right!

Owner and Head fitness coach at MUV Base, Mehak Taherani is all about getting your facts right when it comes to fitness and dietary habits. She shares six tips and tricks to get the most out of your fitness regime and doing what feels right!



Consistency over optimality

How long do you think you can sustain going without your top five favourite foods? Too many misinformed people are claiming to be “experts” and are preaching fitness fallacies. Consequently, too many people falling for the trap of “eliminating” entire foods and macro groups! “no carbs”, “keto”, “protein only”, “juice fasts”. What if I told you, that you can achieve better results, without macro and ‘off-limit food’ exclusion? Stop chasing that “perfect diet” and training programme. There is no such thing. There is only what works for you. Consistency, moderation and context, is key.



Prime, shine and rewind

Always, warm up. I tend to mobilise and perform more dynamic stretches at the start of my session to prime the muscles and joints for go-time! Unless I am being extremely lazy, I will do the static cool down yoga-esque stretch at the end of a training session. I absolutely believe that it can go a long way in terms of preventing injury and helping recovery. Don’t skip these!



99 reasons to exercise, but fat loss ain’t one

The reality is that the majority don’t see beyond fat loss and “getting toned”, to start hitting the gym. Nothing irritates me more than when people don’t realise the countless benefits that resistance training and movement actually brings. Improved longevity, bone density, strength, basal metabolic rate, lymphatic system, mood and mind just to name a few! Do it for these.



Go heavy

Ladies! (and the gents too) stop training with pink dumbbells or doing endless miles of cardio on that dreadmill. It’s not helping. Ideally train with loads, ranges and intensities that will help you gain the most bang for your buck. There is a place for training heavy, and a place for lighter loads. But from what I have seen, people do not train heavy enough. Spend time learning to execute the movement and exercise correctly, and start building the weight on from there.



Don’t be an obsessive #Browndieter

It is important to have satisfying meals, not half hearted ones. I am a big believer in eating the foods that our ancestors have been eating. Can you even begin to imagine how good our bodies actually are at digesting these very foods? Hello, my happy desi DNA! I absolutely love desi food and home cooked meals – Of course I still eat burgers, fries, pizza and pasta (some of my favourite meals) when I’m out, without an ounce of regret or guilt.



Educate thyself

The psycho-somatic relationship is undeniable. Make a cognitive effort to do what feels best. Seek the right advice, follow legitimate knowledge over hot trends, do the trial and error, learn to listen, analyse, research, filter and apply. But most of all, find what you love and chase it relentlessly. In fitness and in life, both.