Amidst the plethora of student-run clubs on campus, Evolve formally emerged as Manipal’s first fitness and nutrition club through their inaugural ceremony held on November 2nd, 2019. Held at Sir M.V Seminar Hall, the event was attended by several health enthusiasts that comprised of professors and administrators from the university.

The event began with a lamp lighting session followed by an address from each of the guests. Nakul Shetty, an Assistant Professor at the Department of ECE, shared his fitness experience with the students and expressed the need for greater care towards health—“Fitness is often overlooked by engineering students. The (fitness) discipline is lacking because of the lifestyle.” He commended the club for creating an opportunity for healthy living among students. Shridhar H, the Director of Physical Education, shared similar views and expressed the importance of fitness. An impartation of the club’s vision soon followed, with a video presentation of the same being shown.

Pranay Pushkar, the President of the Club, started the endeavour with the intention of ‘Making Manipal Fit’. The motive behind the club is to spread awareness and educate students on their physical and mental health, two factors that play a vital role in the overall well-being of an individual. The club aims to eradicate myths that surround weight-loss and body building, while educating students on the healthy intake of food. They also plan on providing monthly diet plans, conducting yoga sessions, coaching students on endurance and resistance training and many other sports activities. The club hopes to begin programs on self-defense and calisthenics from the year 2020. In addition to that, they plan on conducting workshops and organising a seven day fitness competition. The club then proceeded to reveal some of its heads and the portfolios they represent.

“You are what you eat”, said Safia Kousar, referring to the importance of nutrition and the significant impact it has on the human body. Heading Diet and Nutrition, the third year student’s main role is to promote healthy dietary styles and assist students with creating diet plans for themselves, while also helping them reap the benefits of yoga.  Sriram, part of the Recovery and Injury Management is responsible for handing out tips on being safe on and off the field. He believes that along with any workout and diet one follows, it is imperative to perform it in a healthy manner without causing injury to the human body. The Workout and Exercise Head, Vishnu Vinayak, is also the advisory of the committee and hopes to remove the common misconceptions people have regarding diets and exercise, apart from focusing on the general workout aspect of the club.

Evolve, MIT Manipal’s very first all-round fitness club, hopes to be well received by the student populace and successfully transform the student community into one that is fitter, happier and healthier.

Featured Image: Evolve