A Purposeful Journey to Fitness

It was a sheer passion for fitness that spelt out Sheetal Kotian’s need to become a part of the wellness and fitness sector. She accomplished the goal in 2020 as Executive Director-Get a Life Fitness LLP (GALF), a wellness aggregator that provides a corporate wellness ecosystem through its webapp, mobileapp and customised holistic interventions. Her background in corporate sales and working with large corporates and startups is a perfect combination for her profile with GALF. An aspiring Ironman 70.3 miles (triathlon) athlete, Sheetal shares how she evolved over six months post a medical setback to clinch podium finishes which has snowballed into her quest for a lifetime of fitness

“The benefits of fitness programmes in any corporate far exceeds the individuals’ physical benefits. From the confidence of not just being physically fit but also achieving various personal goals which you’ve set up for yourself and worked to achieve, brings in a lot of confidence to do the same at work too,” said Sheetal Kotian, Executive Director, Get a Life Fitness LLP (GALF). GALF is a wellness aggregator built on a corporate wellness ecosystem through its web app, mobile app and customised holistic interventions.

She is a senior sales leader with extensive experience in established multinational brands including fast-paced startups and enterprise business, with competencies in office automation, telecom, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector and into travel technology; handling both emerging and mature markets. Her last role was the head of global sales for a travel tech firm. “I’m not a founder with the company but part of the core leadership team”, she said.

GET SET AND GO

A spate of age-related illness among older family members was Sheetal’s trigger to get fit. But she had not anticipated that it would completely overhaul her life

For someone who was into sports since her childhood, primarily into track and field and athletics, the intervening years saw almost zero activity. It was a recent evolution of over six months where she started weight training and fell in love with it and then there has been no stopping her.

“Running followed soon after as I had already done that when I was younger. While cycling started off as cross training for the running, it went on to become a passion on its own. A chance of developing each sport as a serious passion allowed me to broaden my own regime. Earlier, there was no such thing as a fitness regime! Each of my activity snowballed to the next and together helped me develop in a big way to become the athlete that I am today,” she said.

SELF-BOOTING TRANSFORMATIONS

Overcoming the after-effects of abdominal surgery in February 2019 was, in fact, a blessing in disguise. Although it was her biggest setback as she had always attuned herself to being physically active. It was a heartbreaking episode for Sheetal when she was not allowed to walk for a month.

“With a complete break of almost 4-5 months and then realising you’ve to start almost from zero again was very difficult and certainly not anticipated. To re-start the fitness journey was definitely an uphill task but made easier with focused training and clear goals for the year. To then go on and achieve podium finishes and win community awards was a reconfirmation of my beliefs on focused and on-point training,” said Sheetal.

The marvels of her fitness resurrection reinforced her belief in a healthy lifestyle and her determination to fulfilling other life goals.

“Being fitter and having more energy are the obvious by-products of this lifestyle. But it has been a major trigger for many positive aspects in my life. Determination to complete set targets, discipline to continue regardless of work and home schedules, the importance of consistency and its impact on fitness levels are important learnings, which have very positively impacted me as a professional and individual in life. These basic principles can be applied not just to your professional life but to all aspects of life,” she said.

PUMPING PASSION FOR PURPOSE

Sheetal’s tryst with fitness has also ingrained in her a passion and zest for life. “Self-set goals and targets are what keeps me going. The ‘You v/s You philosophy’ that I had applied to this aspect of my life ensures that I keep myself grounded while getting ahead but not at the cost of any injury. I’ve been fortunate to not have any injury during the years but it is all part of planned and focused training, which is the base I work and live by.”

"Sports is always a great team-building and bonding experience. The positive energy it garners has a domino effect across team"

DIET FOLIO

A flexible diet regime that compliments one’s training or lifestyle choices include a ‘sensible’ diet of all major food groups higher protein and necessary supplements. Most importantly, portion control your platter.

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

Never have a weight goal in your fitness journey it is a by-product and will come most naturally. Challenge your own self in terms of distance, pace, repetitions or weight you can lift. Set monthly targets to better your own self, followed by a quarterly tick and a six-monthly review to remain motivated and to stay consistent.

TRACKING CORPORATE FITNESS

Sheetal is not a qualified trainer but considers herself as a motivator who can engage people around her to not only commence but also progress in their fitness journeys.

“Sports is always a great team-building and bonding experience. The positive energy it garners has a domino effect across teams,” she said. As regards building a good working relationship with colleagues, she strongly advocates the need for sports and fitness as a motivational tool.

She believes that the path to fitness also encourages a need to boost other life goals. “While it is brilliant to see fitness focus on the rise among corporate employees, we’ve still a long way to go. But, we are making promising strides,” she said.

A FEW PITFALLS TO CORPORATE FITNESS REGIME

Lack of time as an oft-repeated reason, which is an excuse for improper prioritising.

LACK OF PROPER TRAINING

Absence of guidance that builds a higher probability of injuries leading to abandoning the programme.

AN ATHLETE’S DAY

Sheetal’s workout routines involve HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and Tabata (the Japanese HIIT form) sessions, stairs climbing to different routes and runs to keep up her enthusiasm. Most of her day is spent between work, running a home and managing a teenager. Planned nutrition is what Sheetal indulges in to balance her food intake with the amount of calories burnt and activities involved.

WAKE-UP CALLS AT 5 AM OR A LITTLE BEFORE

Two hours for runs or workout most mornings. In peak training season, engage in two workout sessions planned per day with a second post-workout session in the evenings.

COPING WITH COVID

“Everything is in the mind! The pandemic had given each of us this luxury of time (freed up our work commute). Our fitness journey has to be about self–development and therefore, a solo journey”, said Sheetal.

She believes that working out at home either online or on a self-made routine is like every other aspect of our lives in lockdown. “We just had to relook and re-evaluate the routine. Yes, gyms are closed but every goal could be achieved if one plans and trains according to the plan,” she said.

Her personal combat with Covid meant getting used to online meetings, which was a brilliant challenge. She adds, “Juggling housework and work from home definitely was a test. A just do it attitude helped! If it was not for my fitness routine I would not have been able to survive lockdown! While I was extremely busy and pressed for time; my workouts ensured I had the energy to carry through the day,” she added.