Be a smart party animal
HYDERABAD: Who says there’s got to be free-flowing booze and deep-fried food for a party to be called a ‘party’. Move over those late night Saturday jamborees and make way for fitness parties. Quite a rage these days in town, all you have to do is wake up early on a Sunday, put on your gym shoes and show up at a pub or studio hosting one. Not your gig? Here’s some motivation: there’s food. Not the usual junk, but wholesome, healthy meals.
The concept, born in the West, is fast catching up among Hyderabadis. Essentially, a fitness party is all about working out in groups, socialising with fellow health freaks and nourishing your body with some nutrition-packed breakfast. “It’s a big trend in the city these days. Fitness parties started when Zumba and aerobics started getting popular in Hyderabad. Back then, people used to just meet up in a park, gym or fitness studio and work out together. Today, this format is way more improvised. You have gyms and fitness brands sponsoring these events. They invite trainers from across the country to conduct various workout sessions,” says Dinesh, who has been training actor Rana Daggubati and recently started working with Venkatesh.
There’s one group that has been acing the trend. The Morning Risers Party (themorningrisersparty) has been throwing fitness parties since 2018, they are probably the first ones in the city to truly acknowledge this new format of ‘partying’. An initiative by N Coldpressed, its objective is not only to promote fitness, but also create a platform for fundraising. Amitesh Sharma, the founder of N Coldpressed, a company that produces natural juices, explains how their fitness parties work. “We wanted to support the education of underprivileged children, but did not want to hold a typical fundraiser party or event. So, we thought of merging the two — fitness and charity. We have instructors and trainers demonstrating different dance workouts, power yoga and music yoga as upbeat music plays in the background. We also have a spread of nutrition-packed breakfast, which comprises salads and juices,” says Amitesh.
The idea is to make fitness fun, accessible and refitness relatable. When they started out, Amitesh was not sure what the response would be. “Hyderabad loves to party on Saturday nights. I was just not confident if this format would work here. But, we still gave it a try and I was surprised to see 70-80 people turn up. There have been times when the number has touched 100 too. This goes to show that Hyderabadis can wake up early and party smart,” he says. He wants people to know that anyone willing to express their art — be it dance or yoga — are welcome to help host these fitness parties.
Nameera Khan, an intern at N Coldpressed who helps organise these fitness parties, is pumped about one such event scheduled for 7.30 am on Sunday. “It’s happening at Chemistry in Jubilee Hills. We will have Zumba and power yoga sessions, apart from others. There’s going to be upbeat and vibrant music, along with great food,” she says. The Morning Risers Party usually holds these sessions at rooftop pubs in Jubilee Hills.
Another big name in the city’s fitness industry is Dinaz Vervatwala and she is synonymous with the aerobics trend in Hyderabad. With a rich experience spanning 28 years, she believes that exercise is critical, but it does not have to be dull. “Earlier, I usually trained people in English aerobics. But one day, I was listening to some Bollywood music and my body started to move with the beats. I thought why not shake things up and use this music in my fitness sessions,” she recalls.
Today, Dinaz holds Dandiya fitness sessions. She merges culture and tradition with the concept to staying tough and toned. It sounds like a lot of fun. In fact, she is hosting one online on Wednesday. “I’ve asked all the participants to dress in traditional clothes. It’s up to them whether to wear shoes or not. We’ll be doing aerobics, knee lifts and squats, among other exercises, for one hour. There will be Bollywood music too,” she says.
Dinaz, who regularly posts about her sessions on Instagram (@dinaz.fitness), usually has themes for her sessions. Last month she had one with a retro theme and two months ago, it was Tapori style. “The entire idea is to reach out to the masses. My goal is to transform one lakh people. Also, such themes and fun sessions make fitness more relatable. Music is a big part of it,” she says.
All said and done, fitness parties seem like the perfect way to spend a Sunday. But if you are expecting to burn a said number of calories at these gatherings, Dinesh says that’s not going happen. “Use the rest of the week for your serious workouts and to achieve your fitness goals. A fitness party is a community event where you socialise and meet like-minded people. It gives you that exposure to know what’s happening in the industry, it helps you keep up with the latest trends. In Hyderabad, it is still being used to highlight health products,” says the bodybuilder , who has been in the industry for 20 years and has seen it grow in the city.
Move over late night Saturday parties. Something much more fun and productive is happening in town. Fitness parties are all the rage among Hyderabadis. A concept born in the West, this is fast catching up and makes living healthy fun