“Fitness isn’t about instant results; it is about consistency and leading a healthy lifestyle,” says Palak in a recent talk with Storiyaan. A health and fitness instructor. Palak Sharma did not have it the easy way when she was diagnosed with incurable diseases. It was difficult for her to get going, but once she did, she never looked back.
In her interview with Storiyaan, Palak talks about her struggle when she was diagnosed with colitis and scoliosis and how she overcame her struggles by indulging in a happy and healthy lifestyle. “Stay fit and never look back” is something that Palak follows as she continues to make lives better with her expertise.
Interview
Questions and answers
Being an IT Engineer, you must be stuck at your desk for hours at a stretch. How do you make up for the long sedentary periods throughout the day?
The desk job is hectic and sitting for long hours can lead to chronic health issues. I make sure that I get up every thirty minutes to stretch and walk a little, I also go for a small walk after every meal. Apart from that, I take out time to work out regularly.
Seven years ago, you had been diagnosed with an incurable disease and that began your journey with fitness. Could you tell us a bit about the dark phase of battling the disease and how you kept yourself optimistic?
Seven years back I was diagnosed with colitis, which is incurable. I fell into a very dark place and it took me a year to motivate myself. Four years later, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, which is also incurable but by that time I had already started my research and began my fitness journey. I have had a difficult journey and because of that I can help my clients and understand their problems.
Taking care of one’s health is believed to be the first step towards health-care. What are the drastic changes that took place in your life when you made your health your first priority?
I made diet and workout plans for myself. I wish I could say that it was easy but I had to challenge myself every single day. It motivated me when I started seeing the results and that was my cue to keep going and not give up.
The altruistic cause for starting Wellnesdiary.ps has started to pay off. What are some of the strategies you adopt to reach more people who might find your guidance useful?
It was the word of mouth that helped me. I used to make workouts and healthy recipe videos for my social media. After some time, people started asking about fitness related problems. This gradually led me to take one client and then the word just spread around.
Apart from workout, you also post a lot of healthy and delicious food recipes. What leads to the conception of the creation of such dishes and which one is your favourite?
I love food and I also want to break the stereotype that healthy food is something you cannot enjoy. I try to use ingredients that are rich in protein and fibre and experiment with the recipes myself. If I feel they are good, then I recommend them to my clients. My favourite is a strawberry-blueberry greek yogurt bowl.
As a health and fitness coach you must come across clients with different problems, goals, and demands. What are some of the most abstract demands that you have encountered in your career?
The most abstract demand is instant results. People expect to lose fat overnight. I say this to all my clients that everyone’s fitness journey is different. We need to be consistent in what we do and the results will show for themselves.
You have collaborated with multiple brands – from clothing to fitness accessories. What are the qualities that you look for in a brand before collaborating with it?
Qualities matter a lot to me. I make sure that the brand and I are on the same page before we start with the collaboration. So, for me, communication, quality, clarity, and commitment are very important while collaborating. I want to present things that will be beneficial to myself as well as my followers.