Understanding who you are, and what you enjoy, is what wellness is all about, says Kunal Rajput

‘Raw and Organic’ with strength and fitness coach Kunal Rajput on IVM Podcasts features fun and enriching conversations on mental and physical well-being, holistic wellness, fitness goals and tips. Founded in 2015, IVM Podcasts is India’s premiere podcast network that aims to serve listeners with a wide portfolio of audio content across genres. The network produces, distributes and monetizes talk and narrative based audio content across genres from comedy and politics to advertising and business.

Q1. The pandemic has led to a newfound importance of holistic wellness, where people are not only seeking to be physically healthy, but are also prioritizing mental health. How is your show tying the two together?

A1. I believe in having real conversations with people and showcasing the complete picture. People always look up to athletes and influencers for inspiration, but they only show their determined and motivational selves and not their vulnerable selves. However, even these people suffer from the same problems and insecurities as we all do. Raw and Organic podcast opens up that window for everyone and makes people come alive with normalcy, by showcasing a real and full picture.

Q2. Can you share something about your journey as a fitness coach?

A2. My journey as a fitness coach has always been evolving. I have evolved as a person who really understands and appreciates the human journey and the human mind. Over the years, I have realized that coaching is not the most difficult part, the most difficult part is understanding and relating to everybody else. My journey as a coach has always been in constant evolution, and I have always wanted to get better at departing knowledge and communicating my version of fitness better. But over time, I came to a point where I started relating to people as much as possible and helped them meet their goals in the most convincing and fun way possible.

Q3. The most difficult aspect of any routine or regiment is consistency, how do you stay motivated and consistent with your workouts and what is your advice to your audiences on the same?

A3. I think constantly staying motivated and being consistent is about understanding that motivation has a very different role to play in your journey. Motivation is the starting point of any kind of journey, but the only thing that is going to help you reach your goal is discipline because motivation passes and discipline stays. In order to be consistent, you have to ensure that you make things a habit.

What has personally helped me is having conversations with myself and always asking myself ‘why?’ - why I started what I’m doing right now, why I’m working on something, and so on. The second thing that helps me stay on course is giving myself due credit and tapping myself on the back for every achievement.

Q4. When one speaks of ‘wellness’ what does it encapsulate?

A4. In my opinion, wellness is the proper balance of physical, mental and spiritual well-being. As humans, we are always trying to achieve an ideal version of our life.

I think there is no ideal version of life, it’s what you hold within yourself. Everybody’s learnings, problems and achievements are different. Understanding who you are, and what you enjoy, and striking a balance between physical, mental and spiritual well-being is what wellness is all about.

Q5. What role does your diet play in overall wellness?

A5. A person’s diet is the most important part of their fitness journey. Besides maintaining a healthy and balanced diet for fitness, it also helps with overall wellness as there are foods that control your moods, your mental well-being and your hormones. It is extremely vital to maintain a balanced diet to ensure that you are getting all the minerals and nutrients your body requires. You should be able to eat what you like and at the same time understand what is not working for you; eventually creating that kind of balance.

Q6. What is your the diet you would recommend people to try and what is your take on fad diets, keto, intermittent fasting etc?

A6. As I have been doing this for a very long time, and I have a deeper relationship with my body, I know the signals my body gives me and I eat accordingly. I understand that when I feel low on energy I should have a heavy carb meal. If my recovery is slow, I have a high-protein diet. It’s something that is more variable according to my lifestyle.

When it comes to different diets, you need to try and see how it works for your body. Intermittent fasting leads to a lowered calorie intake due to a small eating window, so people tend to lose weight with this diet.

Q7 Is there any special advice you’d like to give to people working from home to balance their work and home life and the stress it entails

A7. It is vital to have a structure to your life and have a proper timeline. When you do not have to be at a different place and move around, you tend to get lazy and put things off for later. This is when the balance is lost. It is vital to have a schedule and adhere to it so that your life has some structure and discipline. At the end of the day, it will also make you feel like you have achieved something from your day.