It’s always small beginnings, but consistent efforts that make a significant improvement in one’s life. Be it adopting a healthier lifestyle, balanced diet, or incorporating mindfulness practices, one needs to commit themselves to certain goals that ensure personal well-being. Happiest Health speaks to well-known personalities to understand their positive health and happiness resolutions for 2024.
‘Job satisfaction matters’
Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, nephrologist and chairman, Manipal Hospitals, Bangalore
“My goal for this New Year is to be fitter, leaner, and happier,” says Dr Ballal, whose weekly plan includes – two days of yoga, two days of exercise, and 1 or 2 days of treadmill. He chooses nutritious food and avoids sugar and carbohydrates. Also, smoking and alcohol are a big no. For Dr Ballal, happiness is in spending a lot of time with family, taking short vacations, and enjoying work. Besides, he is cautious about staying infection-free by following hygiene guidelines and staying fit.
‘Golf keeps me mentally fit’
Ashwini Nachappa, Olympian
The New Year goal for Nachappa is to be fit mentally and physically, which has been her goal ever. “For me, it is important to ensure my physical fitness by doing yoga and playing a round of golf which keeps me mentally fit. I work with children and that gives me all the energy I need to carry throughout the day,” says Nachappa. After her 6am to 8am gym, she eats a heavy breakfast. “I eat my dinner by 7 pm. Nachappa believes eating anything is fine as long as it is in moderation. “I don’t eat red meat, I am more of a ‘fishetarian’,” she adds.
‘Cricket, comedy channels are my stressbusters’
Dr C N Manjunath, director, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bangalore
Dr Manjunath works for 12 hours every day and his New Year goal continues to be the same. “Mentally I will be working for 20 hours a day,” says Dr Manjunath, for whom the energy comes from his disciplined lifestyle. “I eat a lot of fruits and restrict myself to either chicken or fish and avoid red meat. For the last three and a half years, it has been my routine to walk 10,000 steps every day,” he adds. Watching cricket and comedy channels is his stressbuster. “If there are no live cricket matches, I watch the recorded ones,” he says. He believes that to keep oneself calm in stressful moments, self-talking helps to introspect and rationalize thoughts. No disturbing thought should drag the mind for more than 30 minutes. “Friendship is a medicine. I ensure I meet my set of friends every fortnight to have healthy conversations and relax,” he adds.
‘Choosing to take the stairs instead of an elevator’
Ramesh Aravind, actor, film producer and director
Ramesh Aravind, well known multi-lingual artist also popular for his TV show ‘Weekend with Ramesh’ has unique thoughts about being fit. Committing to stay physically active, it need not be 20 minutes of intense workout every day, he says. For him, being fit is making conscious decisions every minute through actions. “It can be through opting to take stairs instead of an elevator, to walk while speaking over a call, and to consciously ensure that I do not sit in one place for long hours,” he said. “Physical and mental health are equally important,” he says. Avoiding unnecessary stress, focusing more on mental well-being and mindful eating are some of his happy healthy goals for the new year.
‘Yoga is my way’
Priyanka Upendra, actor
Priyanka Upendra, a well-known actress in Kannada and Bengali languages, has been a strong advocate of yoga and fitness training. The New Year goal for Priyanka is to resume yoga regularly. She says, “Yoga not only helps us to stay fit but also to destress ourselves.” Along with healthy lifestyle changes, Priyanka’s happy healthy goals are to get adequate sleep, good hydration, and a balanced diet with more green vegetables for the coming year. “I have been following it all along, but I want to be more firm this coming year,” she told Happiest Health.
‘No stress please’
Dhananjaya, actor, lyricist and film producer
Dhananjaya popularly known as Daali for his Tagaru film fame, has always been a fitness enthusiast. Videos of his intense workouts often go viral on social media. His happy healthy goals are regular exercises with a mix of cardiovascular and strength training, flexibility exercises, meditation, a healthy diet and adequate sleep. “These are some of the things that I’m prioritizing for the coming year. Also, it is essential to avoid stress,” he adds. “We often worry about the problem and get stressed over it instead of focusing on the solution. Getting stressed over the problem will only worsen one’s health.”
‘Tennis is my fitness’
Milana Nagaraj, actor
For Milana Nagaraj, who got a breakthrough with her film Love Mocktail, fitness means playing tennis. She is looking forward to adding yoga to her daily routine. She says that having a hobby or a recreational activity is equally important to stay happy and healthy. “I won’t skip my tennis practice. I want to prioritize finding myself enough time to include yoga and other activities in my daily schedule this year. Eating healthy food, cutting down on junk, staying hydrated, and drinking plenty of fluids in frequent intervals are some of the commitments that I would want to take for 2024,” she said.
‘Work, eat, sleep. Repeat’
Ganesh Kishan, actor
Mungaru Male fame golden star Ganesh is known for his fitness exercises, right from lifting tires to practicing wushu (a Chinese martial art), along with Yoga. Keeping himself fit, happy and healthy has been his priority. Speaking about his happy healthy goals for this New Year, Ganesh says that he aims for stress-free, happy days ahead. “Taking no stress, having nutritious food, and ensuring ample sleep,” is his mantra for the year ahead.
