Start slow and gradually build up momentum Tread cautiously if you are lifting weights or doing body weight exercises for the first time It’s been over a month since Tanya Goenka embarked on a fitness routine. “I had an active childhood — swimming, dancing, karate and Taekwondo,” says the 18-year-old from Hyderabad. The rigours of high school forced a slowdown, and the onset of the pandemic in 2020 paused many of her activities. Being homebound and glued to online classes for hours led to a change in eating habits; lethargy set in. With school behind her, and looking forward to heading to the US for college in Fall 2021, she hopes to prioritise health and fitness. She enrolled for personal training with fitness trainer Saikrupa Kanth, who works with Telugu film actors and directors: “The first few classes focussed on the basics, including correcting my posture. I could barely hold a plank for 10 seconds, now I can go up to a minute,” says Tanya. She has begun lifting light weights and is determined to pursue her regimen in the US, through online classes.