Ace shooter Gagan Narang, 36, has inspired an entire generation, ever since he won bronze at the London Olympics in 2012. He has also won gold, silver and bronze at the Commonwealth Games, was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna. The sharpshooter who’s made India proud shares his fitness and diet mantra.
*Fitness to me is a mind and body in sync. A sound mind is a mind capable of positive thinking. The fitter one is mentally, the better organised, motivated and focused one can be on one’s goals.
*To excel as a shooter takes stability and discipline. I follow a nutritious diet and exercise regularly. I spend a few hours, five days a week, exercising at a gym. As a shooter, a lot of work goes into specific areas like the shoulders, back and legs, the core and the mind.
*My trainer ensures that I do a combination of exercises to keep things interesting. When travelling too, exercise is part of my routine. There are gyms at almost every hotel I stay in, so there is no excuse to not exercise.
*I love food. I’ve been trying to turn vegetarian and have been surprised by the sheer variety it offers. I love trying different cuisines and diets. I was on a five-meal-a-day diet for a while and recently have shifted to the OMAD or one-meal-a-day.
*I think the OMAD suits me better when I have a hectic travel or training schedule. All I have till evening is fruit, and then I have one meal that takes care of all my nutrition.
*When eating out, I stick to basic daal-chawal; rajma-chawal is my comfort meal at any time of day.
*I’ve been off sugar for a while and that’s made a difference to my fitness.
*I do also walk a lot and I meditate. Meditation is a brilliant way to cleanse the mind of negative and stress-inducing thoughts. A simple, 20-minute meditation session leaves me refreshed and relaxed.
*I also believe the right amount of sleep is vital.
*My love for shooting and my passion for photography are my two big stressbusters; I thoroughly enjoy both. I was drawn into photography because it’s a stressbuster. I like wildlife photography and do take time off to go into jungles and photograph the animals, flora and fauna. The beauty of nature gives you perspective.
*I also leave behind smart watches and all things digital when I go on these short wildlife trips.
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