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METRO WORKOUT
Cut the flab out
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AYESHA MATTHAN checks out a one-hour Power workout at Figure It Out
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PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.
NAVIGATOR Alam is always leading the group on, keeping the tempo alive with his unbeatable energy and enthusiasm
“Let’s start!” a voice thunders from the basement of Figure it Out like in an army troop. Syed Alam, is already bursting with energy on the wooden floor of the second batch of aerobics in the morning. He puts on deafening, pulsating music straight from the disco beats of the 90s (with some catchy Tamil numbers as well) and begins a series of foot-tapping warm-ups. Left… right…back…front and my unused body has been jostled into the one-hour power workout.
As the music booms from the jarring speakers, and I try to get into the swing of things, women and a few men in non-fussy, functional sportswear are already swaying to the aerobics trance, conjured by Alam. A lot of jumping, skipping, hopping, stretching and swinging is enough to set you on a fitness high — but make sure that at least, for the first couple of days, you don’t push yourself and get carried away with the group’s magnetic energy.
It’s a far cry from all those footloose and fancy-free aerobic sessions you see on television or those Jane Fonda cassettes you still play in your drawing room. Here, at Figure it Out are some normal people in comfortable clothing, some overweight and some who have not come just to “get in shape but also stay in shape and enjoy being in shape”.
Alam and the other instructors — I.B. Aiyappa and A. Allen Darkin do not let an inch of any body part escape. Everything from your arms, hips, thighs, back, shoulders, sides, calves and stomach are given an intense, thorough exercise.
Alam, who started Figure it Out eight years ago, when he lost his brother to diabetes and realised he was getting out of shape too, notes, “This is a complete cardio workout and moreover, it is very motivational to be part of a group exercise.” One minute you could feel like a Bollywood superstar or extra, a Salsa dancer, an Irish step dancer, a break-dancer or just a plain freak swinging her arms and legs madly and trying to get that eye-boggling footwork right.
“One, two, four, eight, single with double, single again!” Alam bellows to indicate the counts, challenging you both physically and mentally. The instructor always leading the troop on, keeping the tempo alive with his unbeatable energy and enthusiasm. Your weary eyes following the clock’s hands, you think it’s the end, and Alam dares you again – to three more songs. You resign yourself to the reflection on the front mirror-wall and desperately squeeze out the last boost of strength and attempt some faulty steps that are way behind time. This is truly an inspiring, invigorating workout that does away with all those weight-loss perceptions of heavy weight-lifting and never-ending, monotonous treadmill-running or stepper-stepping sessions. Figure it Out is at the Northern Stand Football stadium Magrath Road, behind Home Stop, opposite Garuda Mall. Call 98860 47414.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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