An Interview with Ms Vani Mendon – GM, Business Development at Servhub
“Take care of your body as it is the only place you have to live in”, said Jim Rohn. Ms Vani Mendon is an ardent believer of this fact as she is keen on making the best use of her time in sculpting herself to become the best and fittest version of herself. Amidst the pandemic and her busy work life, she is able to strike a perfect balance between her fitness routine and work. Here are some insights from our interview with her as she fills us in on her tips to a healthy lifestyle.
Q: As you have mentioned earlier, fitness has brought out the best in you and helped you explore horizons that you have never explored before. Can you give us an example to demonstrate the impact of fitness on your mental state?
A: They say that the body achieves what the mind believes. For me, it worked vice versa too; as I learnt the way to train my mind to think in the first place, via my body. The regular routine that I follow helps me to stay focussed; it fills me with an abundance of positivity that gets me through my day. Once I finish my morning workout routine, I find myself brimming with energy and confidence to tackle the challenges which the day holds for me. Fitness serves as a refuge from reality for me, as it helps me forget about my business-related concerns, and it provides me with a fresh perspective to look at them.
Q: What role does diet play in building fitness levels? Could you share a little more about the diet and workout routine you follow?
A: I believe that fitness is the King, and nutrition is the Queen. That being said, it is a fact that any fitness target is achieved 90% in the kitchen and 10% in gym diet. An equilibrium between both aspects is pivotal to reap the best benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Another important entity in a kingdom is the role of a Minister, who delivers proper counsel. Your mindset is the minister as it would help you to stay focussed on your goal. When you put them all together, you will have a happy kingdom to rule over your healthy lifestyle.
Q: Amidst a busy schedule, what is your usual go-to fitness routine to improve your mental well-being?
A: My ideal day starts with my morning workouts, followed by an hour of gym. I complement it with boxing and weight training, which boosts my endurance and enhances my mood tremendously. This has proved to be the perfect way to start my day.
Q: Amidst the pandemic and your work from home life, how do you find a balance between your physical and mental fitness?
A: Though the pandemic shut us out from the world, we transformed our home into a smaller world where we continued to go about our daily routines. The pandemic made us realise the importance of staying fit to a greater extent than keeping ourselves active. We, along with our son, Ayaan, indulged ourselves in home workouts and activities like skipping. After these workout sessions, there was this enormous burst of energy, a positive upliftment that got me through my day in business meetings and works.
Q: Fitness is a commitment, and there will always be moments where one would feel like giving up. How could one keep oneself motivated?
A: Yes, fitness is a commitment that requires your undivided attention and your utmost willpower. Many a times, I have given up, or rather, my body has given up. However, after a couple of days’ break, I am reminded of the benefits of the workouts and the diet routine, how it made me feel stronger and much more capable, which motivates me to pursue my fitness routine back. As they say, you will realise the value of something only after you lose it, that reminder makes me want to go back to my fitness routine. I hold onto the thought that when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Q: How does one ramp-up fitness levels from basic to advanced? What is your idea of ultimate fitness?
A: My one-liner for starting a fitness journey is, ‘One Step at a Time’. One cannot go all the way from a non-healthy routine to a rigorous diet and workout routine, just like one cannot attempt to jump from the first step to the last step in a staircase. One can start with making more minor adjustments to one’s lifestyle like portion control, going for a half an hour walk, slowly eliminating junk food and fizzy drinks and substituting them with cereals and fresh juices.
Once you get comfortable with the minor changes and home workout routine, you can add a gym routine and monitor your diet carefully. Though it takes a long time for one to get accustomed to such changes in lifestyle, practice makes perfect as there are benefits that are surely worth it. As for my ultimate idea for fitness, I believe that everyone’s ultimate idea of fitness depends on their goal and to do what they enjoy doing. That being said, being the best version of myself by doing what I love is my motto.
Q: What is the best fitness tip you would like to share with fitness averse people?
A: One common challenge about fitness is that people consider it to be a fashion. However, I’d like to say that fitness is not a fashion; it is the key to live a disciplined life with a healthy body and mind to cherish your memories. It is about being the best version of yourself. Fitness is all about taking care of your body because it is the only place you have to live in.
Ms Vani sums up her entire message with the saying, “Fitness is the King, Nutrition is the Queen, and your Mindset is the Minister. Put them all together, and you will have a kingdom to rule over your happy lifestyle.” Her message is thought-provoking without a doubt, and she has opened up a new perspective for people who are averse to fitness. We hope that her message reaches a wide range of people, and inspires many to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Interviewed by: Srividyaa S
Leave a Reply