‘Exercise is a misunderstood concept’

Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar’s latest book says exercise is not a tool for weight loss.

NEW DELHI:

Exercise is a science, believes celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who is the woman behind svelte actor Kareena Kapoor’s once much-discussed size zero figure. Her third and latest book Don’t Lose Out, Work Out shatters myths regarding exercise and educates readers on this “misunderstood” subject.

“Exercise is not about getting up and going for a walk. It’s about understanding what goes behind movement and the energy system involved,” Diwekar said in an interview.

“The book attempts to address and project exercise as it really is: a non-negotiable aspect of life. Exercise not only keeps your body in shape, but also your involuntary organs, such as heart and lungs. It is good for the nerves, brain and hormones,” she added.

In the book, Diwekar has focused on the importance of exercise in everyday life and how it shouldn’t be considered as a tool for weight loss. “The clientele is keener on losing weight than gaining health or fitness,” she shared.

“Exercise is a misunderstood concept; we don’t look at it as something we ought to do as a matter of discipline or health, but something one gets forced or punished to do because of being fat, poor knees, cholesterol or heart issues,” she said.

She feels that although a lot of information is disseminated on the internet related to fitness, people are still ignorant and casual about it. “We still have a large number of trainers and dieticians who count their worth based on how many kilos their clients have lost.”

“So, it’s the inherent thrill of a short-term reward, coupled with ignorance that makes us casual about exercise,” she said.

Diwekar has authored two more books on fitness, viz Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight and Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha.

But unlike her previous books where she has championed the cause of eating well and not losing sleep over weight, her latest book elaborates on the science behind exercise and discredits myths, such as spot-weight reduction.

“It isn’t uncommon for us to make statements like ‘Let me lose some weight quickly first’. What we are saying is that we are fine with the harm that quick and extreme weight loss will bring because we care more about our weight than health,” she said.

“This book urges people to stay away from clichés and stereotypes and adapt a lifestyle where exercise is part of the routine and not a burden.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2014.

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