In Pursuit of Gold

Hyderabad’s ace badminton champion Jwala Gutta has certainly made the country proud on numerous occasions. She now gears up to represent the nation at the upcoming Olympics

As a sports person, she has certainly made a mark for herself, which she has achieved through a lot of discipline, hard work and dedication towards her game. But to be able to sustain all the pressures and demands of the sport, Jwala lays an immense amount of emphasis on fitness.

The 28-year-old player follows a strict regime when it comes to her fitness. While she prefers including her badminton sessions as a part of her complete training, she does dedicate a decent amount of time to working out at the gym. “My training for badminton is more than enough. This includes a decent amount of time spent at the gym as well as about seven hours a day for six days a week of badminton practice and also weight training,” she said.

While exercising is necessary, Jwala maintains that it should be done in moderation and not to an extent where it burns one out. “I do a few exercises everyday while there are others which I do on alternate days and few more once in a while. I cannot afford to let my body burn out,” she added.

With Jwala featuring in the doubles event, she tries to synchronise her training sessions with her partner so that they can get the best out of each other.

She trains at the Lal Bahadur Stadium and works out at the gym which she helped built. “I work out at the gym at LB Stadium, one which I built with my own hands,” said the badminton champion.

Jwala is currently taking extra special care about her fitness as she cannot afford to take ill at this time of the year what with the London Games coming up this month. She not only concentrates on her exercises and games but also gives importance to her diet. “I am currently on a low carb (carbohydrates) and high protein diet. This has already shown results as I have managed to lose about eight kilos of weight in a span of five weeks and I am feeling fit,” she stated.

With the fluctuating weather conditions prevalent in the city, the left-hander is being extra cautious about her health. She tries to increase her vitamin C intake which includes orange juices and chewable tablets of the same vitamin.

Not only does she stay focused about her own fitness, she did have a few words of wisdom to share with our readers. “I hope that every human being indulges in atleast one sport and plays that regularly. Whatever you take up, do it regularly. This keeps both the body and mind fit,” she said. “I would suggest one and all to wake up early in the mornings and I do that myself.”

“Children, especially those who are going through their adolescent days, must take up a sport. It keeps the body fit and mind healthy but most of all, it prevents them from getting involved in numerous distractions. During those years, it is very easy to get attracted to different kinds of bad habits. Sports would keep them busy and healthy,” she concludes.

Tags: badminton, featured, full-image, Jwala Gutta, London Olympics 2012

Category: City, City News