Former Mr Nagaland Hukupa confesses that he is an exercise junkie or rather, a fitness addict. "I feel alive and good when I work out. It's addictive. I got introduced to gymming when I contested for the Mr Nagaland title. Gymming changed my life completely."
Since winning the Mr Nagaland title, he has been inspiring young people in Nagaland to get fit the right way and live healthy active lives. He shows me a few exercises I can do at home when we met up for a quick chat at Capital Gym, in the heart of Kohima.
"Many of us take our bodies for granted. We all want to look and feel good but don't think about staying active or what we feed our bodies. Just a few daily squats can make a big difference. Exercise is the only way to stay healthy and look it. A balanced diet also matters. It's not a good idea to mess up your body with the wrong food or let the fats pile on. I'm glad to have been associated with a few gyms in Kohima and creating awareness for fitness through regular gymming and body building through exercise."
People worry about vitamins and consuming health supplements but don't think twice about poisoning their system with alcohol or other harmful substances. I'm no angel but I try and avoid a binge or else, sweat it out.
Traditionally, our people were very active so natural exercise took care of their bodies. Nowadays, we have to put in the effort. It is never too late to start taking care of your body.
Many people assume that exercising makes them gain weight. That's not true. What is true is that exercise increases your metabolism and improves blood circulation and appetite. Now once your appetite improves and you continue eating a lot while you stop working out, you obviously gain weight!
Ever since I got into gymming, I have become quite a caveman. I'd rather workout than socialise or party as it makes me feel good. Happy hormones.
There is a growing interest in fitness thanks to social media and health conscious celebrities. This is a good thing. It's more about being healthy than looking good. I myself put in 2-4 hours at the gym daily. I like to spend time with the young people who come and we chill and exercise.
My style funda is to wear whatever makes me feel like myself. I like to be comfortable in my clothes. Since I workout, I do own comfortable gym and sportswear. Comfy footwear is also important.
have always been more keen on competitions than modelling. But it depends on the cause. I would happily encourage more people to get fit and take it seriously. I like to be part of events that encourage young people and create awareness for good causes. I'm a good volunteer I guess.
I'm excited that so many college going young Nagas and the working people are now joining gyms and getting on the fitness trail. Kohima alone has 6 well appointed gyms. Hopefully more girls will take up gymming or simply just workout at home too.Even traditional Naga style wrestlers are slowly learning the importance of staying fit and body training as opposed to overeating and piling on the kilos for the game season. The crux of the game is technique combined with strength, and working out regularly can help you build your strength and body to optimum. This I learnt from experience when I myself competed one season. Strength doesn't come from the body size but by training your core muscles.
Workout daily. It's really important to warm up properly to avoid injury. Fitness is a state of mind and a way of life. Exercising is fun and good for each one of us.
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