Road to recovery

How can we train our body and mind to get stronger? Moreover, why should we bother at all?

- Rituparna Som

The last few months have forced us to acknowledge the truth of a constantly changing world and our values and roles in it. It’s often the physicality of our bodies that grounds us in such times, so it’s no surprise that people have turned to physical exercise in an effort to heal. But it is incomplete without a degree of attention paid to the mind. In times of adversity, even the mind needs training to help accept the inevitable uncertainty of life.

In the process, the concept of beauty has evolved too: it’s also inner strength, of body and mind. Whether it’s the ability to do an exhausting number of burpees in one minute or spend 20 minutes a day in a state of zen, just the fact that you’re showing up to do it at all is enough to guarantee a better quality of life and happiness. And this is where you start.

HOW TO BUILD A BODY

Want to live longer and better? Harvard Health Publishing, the publishing arm of Harvard Medical School, puts it simply: do strength training. “Strength training involves performing movements and exercises, or ‘working’ your muscles and connective tissues (usually against an external load or weight in some form) to improve your body’s ability to accomplish life tasks as well as to improve overall health,” explains Gunnar Peterson, the man behind the toned muscles of Kim Kardashian West, Sofia Vergara and Jennifer Lopez. “It can be achieved by either external weight like dumb-bells and barbells or your own body weight,” says former Australian pole vaulter, athletics coach and yoga teacher Amanda Bisk. And anyone and everyone can and should do it.

STRENGTH TRAINING WHILE PREGNANT