Over the course of 365 days, Rohit Sakunia has successfully covered a distance of over 7,300 kilometers which is equivalent to the distance between New Delhi and Reykjavik, Iceland. The 39-year-old runs an independent full-scale advertising agency called ARTE Media.
Sakuniya was walking 20 km every day in 2023. Talking about the objective behind it, he says, “His prime goal was to cultivate fitness through unwavering discipline and consistency. In a busy person’s busy schedule, finding time and ensuring commitment to a regular activity poses significant challenges. The basic objective was to regain the fitness levels of a decade ago, emphasizing the importance of achieving this not in a hurry, but through sustained and disciplined effort every day for the entire year.
In pursuit of a healthy lifestyle, he is integrating a balanced diet seamlessly. “I eat plenty of green vegetables and low-fat proteins. Implementing this, I have adopted intermittent fasting, recognizing its role in enhancing overall well-being. Underscoring the importance of balanced nutrition, I conscientiously manage to consume adequate proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats, while striving for a comprehensive approach to my dietary habits. Hydration is a cornerstone of my routine, which includes consuming about 3.5 liters of water per day. To track my water intake and stay motivated, I rely on the Hidrate Spark bottle, its app provides real-time updates and encouragement, even lights up to keep me on track . “This focus on hydration is especially important given my goal of walking 20 kilometers a day.”
His journey started in 2018. “I haven’t always been interested in fitness or any kind of movement. People who have known me for about 6 years now have seen me in different shapes and forms. I wore loose clothes to hide my growing body and ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I didn’t know or care about fitness. But in late 2018, a personal incident threw me off my game. This left me feeling lost and not knowing what to do or how to cope. It might be easy to drink, but I don’t. So basically, I was worried, sad and clueless.”
Unaware, he started walking. Just as a way to vent out your pent-up frustration. “I felt so lack of control in life that walking for a few minutes made me realize that I could control certain situations. Started by walking 3000 steps a day and gradually increased to 10000. I remember that many people used to make fun of me at that time. They’ll say, ‘You’re just blindly following some numbers popularized by a Japanese marketing campaign.’ I hope so! I’m not doing anything harmful, I’ll defend myself. In the last few years this 10,000 per day has gradually increased to about 15,000 per day.
In late 2022, he was in Shimla for about a month to complete a marketing campaign and had nothing much to do, so he started walking. “I used to walk 30 kilometers a day, sometimes 25 kilometers. This gave me hope and confidence that I could do more. This soon became a norm for me.”
They incorporate various strategies to increase daily physical activity. “These include parking away from the office, climbing stairs, and walking during meetings.. A consistent routine includes walking an additional 6-8k steps after dinner, which ends by 8 pm, which is time for work obligations.” Despite this, it shows my unwavering commitment. This comprehensive and holistic approach ensures a harmonious blend of physical activity and nutritional wellness in my daily routine.
