LSG fielding coach Jonty Rhodes: Health and fitness is not about Bollywood

“In India, the big health perception is not centred on athletes, but Bollywood. For many, even today, fitness is about biceps and six packs. And, for most of them, it’s unachievable. So, they don’t even bother to give it a try. But for me, it’s about a healthy lifestyle. My wife, a yoga teacher, says nutrition is the key. Also, as an architect, she knows that you can’t just have a great wall and a roof. You need a strong foundation, walls and a roof — all must be well connected. And that’s what yoga says and for me, too, the overall wellness is essentially important,” he says.

Known as the best fielder in the world of cricket, he adds, “You can’t just go to the gym, exercise and fix everything. If your nutrition is a miss, your lifestyle is out of place and you’re just exercising, it won’t help. Things will crumble down. The wellness journey is more about understanding the environment that I’m in and how I make my day the best day possible.”

Rhodes says it’s all about striking a balance and making sure you know what not to do. “Today, maybe I’ve only got time for a 10-minute walk, but then I make sure that I have my masala chai with no biscuit. They serve you tea and there are always two cookies. So don’t eat the cookies. I don’t take the elevator. I like to walk up the stairs. When we travel a lot at the airports, all the players are on the escalators, and they have a trolly bag. But I carry my bag and I walk up the stairs, because it’s the small things that matter,” he says.

He adds that it’s the quality of the workout that matters the most. “It’s not about getting a gym instructor or spending an hour in the gym. But you can always walk a little further than the previous day. So, health and fitness are not Bollywood, it’s not about athletes. It’s just what makes you healthier today than you were yesterday. It’s with small measures that you change habits, doing one bit at a time,” Rhodes adds.

Talking about his experience as a fitness coach and motivator he says, “I’ve been a speaker at various corporate events talking to 300-400 employees. Motivating them to do better in the workplace. As we are based in Goa and many events are a common affair in the state. Their health should be a matter of concern for their employers, but it feels like these organisations are not doing their bit. As they are not bothered about having a fit team as they know if one goes, there are many waiting to fit in his shoes. So, for me that’s a bigger concern.”