This lockdown has taken a toll on everyone, both mentally and physically. While the normal works have been interrupted, the closing of gyms and other training areas affects the sportspeople more. Of course, they do train at home but it is not going to be as effective as they train at a proper gym.
Now, the good news is that the Tamil Nadu Government have reopened stand-alone gym helping the sportspeople to breathe a little considering the championships that are lined up.
Talking to us about the reopening of Gym, Asian Powerlifting Championships Gold medallist-cum-dentist Aarathi Arun says that she is really glad to get back. Here are the excerpts from her interview.
TN Government has finally opened Gyms. How do feel about it?
I am extremely happy that the government of Tamilnadu has finally permitted gyms to be opened and not only me but the entire sports community will be benefitted by this move. This will allow me to get back to my regular training schedules and to prepare for the upcoming international championship.
It’s been a while since you practised hard due to the lockdown...
The lockdown period was very tough for me as a powerlifter as we train for a few hours every single day with professional equipment. For this, we need a proper gym. We can have some equipment at home but it will not suffice when you are facing international competition. It was very difficult training from home too. We have to train in a schedule that includes season and off-season training, under the guidance of a coach. If there is a break in the training then it becomes a challenge to get back to form.
Now that you are back to the Gym, how long will it take to get back to your normal routine?
I will once again start my regular workouts under the professional guidance of my coach, Maya Krishnan. My potential would have definitely gone down a little due to home training and so I need to do a lot to get back to my 100%. We need at least 3 months to recoup the weights that we were lifting before lockdown. It is very tough but with determination and committed workouts, I’m sure I’ll to get back to form within a short time.
We have a lot of tournaments being postponed due to lockdown…
It is very unfortunate that due to Corona, a lot of international tournaments have been postponed. I was preparing very seriously for the Asian Powerlifting Championship this May. Now, the same championship will be held in December in Indonesia, and I’ve started to seriously prepare for it. Hopefully, I will be ready for the challenge.
Also, My request for all the gyms in the city to follow the guidelines provided by the government so that all the athletes will be safe and can practice in a protected environment. Please stay safe.
