Don't make perfection a pain

Forty-plus and looking to get a fab body? Great, but bear in mind that your physique depends on many factors, including your genes, how fit you've stayed in the past, access to personalised training and your diet. And please don't overdo it.
Thankfully, the level of gyms has improved. Says Abhimanyu Sable of Pune's Abs Fitness and Wellness Club, ‘‘Five-six years ago, doctors were afraid to send their patient to gyms because they did not trust the equipment or staff.But with quality gyms coming up all over the country, going to a gym is not just cool, it's necessary.'
Still, there are some things you need to keep in mind before putting on your gym shoes. Initially, there should be no vigorous exercises. Says SRK's trainer Prashant Sawant: ‘‘Clients should not be made to kick in the air, do boxing, heavy squats or anything that puts pressure on the knees.'' Then, have a clear idea of what you want to do. In recognised gyms there should be a distinction between light, medium and heavy intensive training. Though heavy intensive training - including jogging on the treadmill on an incline, working on the cycling machine with weights on your ankles - is what you need to do if you want a sixpack, it isn't advisable in the first few days.
While trainers say there is increasing awareness about the need to be fit at 40-plus, they add that getting the perfect body might not always be the most practical option. As Munira Jawadwala, head of sports nutrition at Gold's Gym says, ‘‘Getting good bodies requires lot of determination, time and discipline. Busy executives who cannot make the time should look to gain fitness rather than develop aesthetic bodies.'' Ajay Chand, a trainer at Delhi's Ozone fitness centre agrees, ‘‘It's unrealistic to expect most 40-plus people to maintain a sixpack continuously. Body weight fluctuation, age and other factors will work against that. The main thing is to maintain your body well.''
While doctors encourage you to hit the gym, they add that you must be realistic about your body. Says Dr S K S Marya, director of orthopedics, Max Healthcare Institute: ‘‘The first thing to remember is to take it very slow. The tissues of the human body are less elastic at 40 than they are at 20. This means the muscles are weaker and more prone to injury. Hence 40-year-olds need a longer warm-up to avoid serious injury.''
The second thing most serious gymmers are guilty of slipping up on is diet. As Dr Shikha Sharma, Delhi-based dietician and nutritionist, points out, ‘‘Most people lead very undisciplined lives. Once the sixpack is achieved, they become lazy and forget their diets.'' Interestingly, Sharma - who advocates five light meals a day for sixpack wannabes - suggests sprouts, tofu and soya rather than chicken or mutton as protein. She explains: ‘‘In ayurveda it is said that eating non-veg increases temper and anger. Since we are living in such a high-stress society I feel vegetables can help give you a calmer state of mind.''
ashwin.ahmad@timesgroup.com