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Fitness chain owner, but MSD not a keen gym goer
A commercial venture by an international cricketer is no longer a rarity. Quite a few, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, have tried their hands, though with varying degree of success.
A commercial venture by an international cricketer is no longer a rarity. Quite a few, including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, have tried their hands, though with varying degree of success.
It’s hardly surprising to see MS Dhoni, too, join this cricketer-cum-entrepreneur band. What differentiates his foray into the business world from the others is its magnitude— he plans to open 200 gyms across the country in the next five years, the first of which was inaugurated in Gurgaon on Thursday.
Interestingly, while he wants to make people “fighting fit” through his venture, the India skipper is no big fan of gyms, at least he wasn’t to begin with.
“I wasn’t too fond of gyms, it couldn’t keep me involved. I was more into running, jumping and circuit training. Even today, I don’t spend more than 30 to 50 minutes in the gym,” he said.
Natural ways
For his fitness and sprinting abilities, too, he didn’t give credit to workouts in the gym. Instead, he attributed them to playing football in his growing-up years.
“I started off as a footballer and that has given me really strong legs. It’s the endurance training that the sport required that has kept me strong and from any serious breakdowns.”
Nonetheless, Dhoni plans to “educate” Indians on what they could do with their bodies and change their idea of fitness. “Normally, fitness here is associated with how many packs one has, but it’s more about how high you can jump, how quick one can run,” he said, giving a peek into his fitness philosophy.
Happy to play Pak
On the cricketing front, he said it would be good if India-Pakistan cricketing ties were resumed. “If Pakistan come and play here it’s good for us. But I don't know about the scheduling... how they will fit it. We are open to it.”
