A Therapeutic Zumba Hangover!

After a highly successful career, Babitha Xavier saw a low in her life when she was not only depressed but financially dependent. It was exercise and Zumba that turned her life 360 degrees

Zumba was accidentally invented by Alberto 'Beto’ Perez, a Colombian dancer and choreographer, in the 1990s. It reached India, towards the end of the first decade of the 21st century. And, today, Indian Zumba instructors add their own Bollywood-y twist to their choreography, bringing the fitness routine even closer home.

Age doesn't matter. Size doesn't matter. You can hit the floor from the word go with no formal training required. According to a British study, athletes who rowed together could bear more pain, because of endorphin surge. So, workout in a group, and workout more!

“It is a great way to build your stamina,” says Sandeepta, Assistant Professor, Osmania University, who absolutely loves grooving to the Latin American numbers that accompany the workout. What more, with the release of happy brain chemicals like endorphins, you can keep low-spiritedness at bay.

Now let's meet the fitness instructor who put a spring in my step right here in Hyderabad. At first glance, Babitha Jacqueline Xavier looks like she is built to work out! That she worked herself out of a depression with plenty of exercise reinforces my belief that exercise is truly therapeutic.

“I used to workout like a freak here,” she quips pointing to the space, which is now a popular gym, aptly named Sweat N Burn, that sees women of all ages streaming in and out, right from 5 am to 9 pm. What changed? How did she come out of depression? It was a decision she had made.

"People often ask me how. One day, I decided I must move on. And that was it; since then there has been no looking back."Before Zumba, she was living the life of a successful corporate professional, having worked for as many as 18 years in top corporate firms. "I pursued my MBA in Finance, so I went into banking and telecom."

But, this was also the time when her daughters were growing up, and like most working mothers; she was torn between work and her children. "I lost my mother very young, so I wanted to be around my girls and be there for them. Even while I held my job, I would visit them at their crèche, three to four times. Those would be my only breaks."

Finally, she quit her lucrative job in the corporate world. But, for Babitha, who was used to an active lifestyle, sitting at home was difficult. More so, even for a management graduate, there could be days when you are penniless. Not having a job or regular source of income gave Babitha the resolve to never be financially dependent again in life. “That one year was hard. It was also the time I was depressed. It took its toll on me.”

“One of those days, I had chanced upon a call for a marathon in Hyderabad, and wanted to give it a shot.” Although she signed up for 5 kilometers, when she was finally done, she was told that she had completed 21 kilometres in toto. “I didn’t even realise it!” This was the first of her many marathons to come. “That was when I weighed 36!”

Later, every marathon she ran, she won laurels. “I felt like I was winning my identity.” And with each marathon, she also slowly gained her emotional and physical strength back. Today, her energy levels are everybody’s envy. She was introduced to Zumba in 2012. When the second round of certification happened in India, she hopped on the Zumba bandwagon.

Her popularity spread solely by word of mouth. Those who have joined her gym go home with a Zumba-hangover, humming and hopping! Clients come from afar for her personal training and weight loss sessions. "A mother and daughter come all the way from Tolichowki to SainikPuri (22 km) at 5 in the morning.

They get here even before I do! And I do only functional training. I do not use any equipment, whatsoever." The women, who come to her, get inspiration in addition to training. “She is a strong woman and role model” adds Sandeepta. “I have been coming for a year now, and it feels like my endurance has tripled over time.”

Neha, a 25-year-old dentist, has seen a “holistic change in her attitude, and feels fit and upbeat about life itself. Babitha has encouraged me and helped me push the envelope.” Sudha Sanjeev, a homemaker, is another regular at the class. Her face is literally glowing the whole time she is on the dance floor.

"I love to dance!" she exclaims, still flushing pink in the face from the workout. Being a self-made woman, Babitha is all about raising her daughters to be strong and independent, and helping them acquire life skills. At 15, her older daughter, Cheryl Xavier, is the youngest certified Zumba instructor in the country.

Jacqueline Babitha Xavier has just returned from back to back marathons in Singapore, having won laurels for the country - two gold and two silver in the Singapore Masters - Open Track and Field Championships 2015. Unstoppable that she is, even with her leg injury.

By:Indu Chinta