Fitness skills

WHEN THE West wanted to escape stress and keep fit, it looked to the East. They found yoga.

Several innovations later, a man from a not-so-west country is travelling eastward training fitness instructors on the latest in the field.

For Jannie Claasse, global fitness master from the land of Springboks, it was his first trip to Chennai. And the one-day itinerary proved out to be a busy one. So busy that he hardly had time for shopping here! (Well, he was promised to be taken out for shopping. Not sure whether he made it.)

The whole of Thursday was dedicated to upgrading the skills of the professional fitness instructors in Chennai certified by Reebok. The venue: Globe Gym in Egmore.

In batches of about 15 each, he imparted what is called the Reebok Flexible Strength programme to the certified instructors in the city.

Composure was fundamental. And then, movements - unrestrained and flamboyant, swift and smooth, with a regular periodicity of inhaling and exhaling. The whole class moved in a symmetry. A delicate trance music playing on the background.

All along the demo classes, he explained the relevance of every movement and its impact on the respective part of the body.

``I was an athlete, but had to give it up due to financial constraints. Then, I studied human movements at the Port Elizabeth University. Dancing too was a part of my upbringing,'' says Jannie.

Fitness classes are more to eke out a living. ``South Africans are generally health conscious and aware of the mathematics of calories. And in India, the concept is still in a nascent stage,'' he adds.

The target is to popularise the programmes among the masses. Correct eating, side by side with exercise, is necessary and guidelines to the effect are also available.

This science is developing which makes continuing education for the instructors necessary periodically. ``Jannie's visit was in connection with that,'' says Radha Krishnaswamy, Reebok master trainer at Global Gym.

So, shake a muscle and burn off the excess calories. Only then you would be able to maintain your midriff, says Jannie. The master knows it all.

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

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