Fitness in NITT

Jogging/ Walking Routes:
NSO ground
The NSO ground track covers an approximate perimeter of 400m. For those who like running on tracks and can tolerate the dust, this track should be good enough.

Outside Opal/Hostel
If you choose to take a stroll outside, then the route from Opal to the temple and back through the guest house road will add up-to 1km. A pleasant route with light sunshine and cool morning breeze to activate your energy levels. Similar routes around Amber and Zircon, or going from Zircon to Amber adds up to a pretty brisk walk.

Inside Opal
A complete round of the ground will add up-to 400m to your walk log. The amount of calories burnt may not be too much, but it’s definitely a calm and warm route to run/walk if you’re too lazy to venture out of Opal.

10 Minutes – Fitness Tips:

• Skip 50 times and take rest for a minute. Repeat thrice.
• Climb 4 steps and come back. Do this for 10 minutes.
• Sit back and take a deep breath. Inhale for 1-2 seconds and exhale for 2 seconds. Do this for 2 minutes.

Things to avoid:

• High intensity exercises in the gym without proper guidance. Doing so can result in you injuring yourself.
• Sugar and processed foods. To satisfy cravings for sugar, eat fruits.
• Skipping meals and then eating huge portions. This has been proven to increase the risk of diabetes and also lead to weight gain.
• Exercising a lot and eating less. Not only does it make your body to susceptible to health problems, it also leads to gain in weight.

Mental Fitness:

It’s equally important you pay heed to your mental health to fight fatigue, laziness, depression and stress.

Yoga:
The simplest two yoga regimes you could adopt are meditation and Pranayam- an exercise that teaches you to breathe.

Meditation isn’t about sitting in one place and falling asleep. It’s about observing mindfulness in any activity you do. For instance, watching the sun rise or the moon for some time, without any distractions or disturbances, leaves you calm and focused.

Sleep:

• Sleep lets you empathise and concentrate better.
• Here’s a tip to fall asleep. Try not to fall asleep by keeping your eyes closed and preferably lights turned off. Works for sure!

Interview with the Physical Director (from 2017):

“A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. So, to be able to perform well in academics, a person needs to be physically fit. Proper food habits, exercise, the right posture and adequate sleep are necessary to stay fit. Food provided in the mess is just enough to satiate hunger. Students can buy fruits and dry fruits and have them to ensure a balanced diet. Regarding exercise, there are a lot of routes in college in which students can walk or jog. Commuting to and from class doesn’t count, as then our minds aren’t focused. Almost all the hostels have grounds which can be utilised for playing. If you want to use the court, then do so when team players aren’t using it. You can also approach the dean and get permission to use the court at specific times. There is a gym too and we are planning to appoint an instructor. As our college lacks in trainers, we are  trying to appoint coaches for various sports. For proper mental health, meditation is a key tool. It is extremely simple – sit in a quiet place and concentrate on your breathing. Exercise is a necessity. Despite a busy schedule, our Director exercises daily. If we consider our body to be a machine, physical activity acts as the lubricant.”

– Sandeep, Shruthi, Diptisika, Harshini

Read this article from the original issue here.