You Cannot Be Benjamin Button. But You Can Age Gracefully And Healthily.

When an adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, was turned into a movie, many of us may have wondered if we could borrow a shred of Benjamin’s fortune: ageing backwards. If only it were not fiction. The fact, however, is that one cannot reverse-age. One cannot stop the process. But it can be slowed down, for sure.

Unlike Benjamin, who was born as a man of 70 and aged in reverse to die as an infant, each human is growing older. Nawaz Modi Singhania, a fitness and lifestyle coach, echoed similar thoughts when she addressed the Jaipur audience in a session of Qissewale at the Hyatt Regency on Sunday. 

Everyone is ageing. Each animal is ageing. A one-year-old baby is ageing. Time just goes one way, not the other way.

Nawaz Modi Singhania

Our soul doesn’t have a second choice

“Everyone is ageing. Each animal is ageing. A one-year-old baby is ageing. Time just goes one way, not the other way,” she said, highlighting the importance of lifestyle and nutrition in slowing down the ageing process. Busy lifestyles and unhealthy diets hasten the process, insisted Nawaz, who has dedicated herself to helping people learn how to age gracefully and healthily. The conversation with Mita Kapur, CEO of Siyahi, revolved around the role of nutrition, fitness, and mental health as factors in ageing well.

In the enlightening talk, the Pause, Rewind author asserted that focusing on health and nutrition should not be a topic of discussion. Nawaz said that it should rather be a part of our daily routine, much like brushing our teeth or dressing up. “You do not question whether you have to put on clothes on a particular day or have a meal. It’s just done. It should be the same with health,” she said. Nawaz’s words echoed with the audience when she said, “Our soul has chosen to live in our body. It doesn’t have a second choice.”

Find a routine that suits your needs

As the evening progressed, Nawaz and Mita discussed the importance of physical fitness, anti-ageing exercises, and diet. Talking about first setting up her fitness centres in Mumbai back in the 90s, Nawaz shared that it was easier to educate people about health back then. “There was less paperwork. There were no fitness influencers, and just a couple of gym chains to compete with. People would listen to you, and it was fairly easy to guide them,” she shared. 

On the current trends of fad diets and viral exercise trends that are popular today, Nawaz had a simple answer: One size does not fit all! “Most fitness centres or coaches will create one plan that will be handed out to everyone. But that is not how fitness works. Just as each person has different dietary needs, they also need a different set of exercises,” she shared. To get maximum out of a fitness routine, Nawaz recommended finding a plan that matches one’s fitness needs. “One person may need more cardio, another would need conditioning or mobility exercises. It is important to find a coach who can customise a plan based on the needs of your body,” she suggested. 

Save what makes you unique

While there is enough stress on keeping the body fit, little is spoken about exercising the muscles of the face. Facial yoga has been doing the rounds on social media but still is not a part of daily workout routines for most people. Nawaz intends to change this mindset.

“How do you recognise someone, really,” she asked the audience before turning to Mita. “How do you know this is Mita Kapur seated next to me? Of course, it is her features that make her unique. That is how you know it is the person who you think it is,” she added. “But when we go to the gym, or the dance class, we are focusing on everything neck down. We also need to take care of these facial features, which are the most affected by ageing,” she explained, speaking of the role of face exercises in countering signs of ageing. “The telltale signs of age – jowls, double chin, puffy eyes, etc – can all be dealt with through facial exercises,” she said. Nawaz asked the audience to share common problems related to their face and went on to demonstrate exercises that can help tackle each one. 

Self-esteem is the key

In a rapid-fire Q&A at the end of the session, Nawaz placed all answers to seeking happiness, age, and health in self-esteem. “Happiness is self-esteem; self-esteem is happiness. Ageing is also about self-esteem. It’s all about whether you decide to go this way or that way,” she spoke. Asked whether the use of filters was a reflection of one’s low esteem, Nawaz continued with the same thought. “The day you were born, you put on filters in the form of clothes. Is that a problem? You don’t need to go without it. One may choose to use filters, fillers, or makeup to look and feel better. They could use hair colour to cover greys. I would not judge them for it,” she said.

Being a Zoroastrian, Nawaz believes in “Good thoughts, good words, and good deeds,” a tenet she also discusses in her book. She also believes in putting oneself selfishly, not selflessly first. “Indian women have always placed themselves second. It’s always the father first or the husband first. Then come the children, or the in-laws, and so on. Indian women, all focused on family, would think. ‘Nothing’s ever going to happen to me.’ And then it strikes! If a woman is gone, the family falls apart and realises she was the one that held relationships together. But she was not appreciated in her lifetime,” Nawaz invoked the audience to prioritise their health. “The same goes for men too,” she added.

The event was the second in Qissewale, a series of conversations filled with stories. The first tale saw Harish Bhat, author of Office Secrets, talk to Tamanna Bhanot about the human aspects of corporate life. Siyahi has partnered with Hyatt Regency Jaipur, Mansarovar, to bring scintillating conversations, thrilling stories, magnetising performances, never-seen-before acts, and the tales and tastes of Rajasthani Gharanas from their long-lost recipes.