Proper posture is about more than just sitting up straight. As nomadic personal trainer Darsh Lad discussed in a recent Nexstand interview, posture affects confidence, communication, injury prevention and overall well being.
Having quit his optometry 9-5 job to pursue his passion for fitness and training others, you’d forgive us for thinking Darsh had always been a gym rat.
But this is far from the case as you’ll discover below!
Pivoting from Party Animal to a Positive Mindset
Darsh's journey from optometry to fitness was a long one. Though the job in the UK provided financial stability, he soon found himself unfulfilled and falling further into unhealthy habits.
“I was just looking forward to the weekends, I was just going out with my friends, taking a few drinks. And there wasn't anything I was really working towards”
A familiar path for many people. Getting stuck in the rut per say, and living for the weekends.
Then a startling photo of his weight gain shown by his sister led him to start making changes.
“She showed me the picture. And I was like, Who is that? Like, is that actually me?”
Whilst Darsh made some changes like working out more, and eating a bit better, progress for his mind and body still wasn’t where he wanted it to be. It took hitting rock bottom on a holiday to really cement his commitment. Smelling cigarettes on himself in Bali made Darsh realise just how unhealthy his lifestyle had become.
“I remember the specific day when I was at the airport, and I was in Bali, and I could smell my hand. They smelled like cigarettes and I had a bad hangover. I thought that's it, no more smoking, no more bad habits.”
That moment sparked a true transformation towards fitness, though the road getting there was bumpy. With renewed focus, Darsh cut out smoking and drinking for good, kickstarting his new life's passion for health and wellness.
Much of it focused on improving his mindset, and learning discipline so that these new positive actions just became natural things to do.
100 Days to Reinvent
After the thunderbolt moment in Bali, Darsh wholeheartedly devoted himself to transforming his lifestyle and habits. He delved deeply into himself through a silent Vipassana meditation retreat. The profound teachings during this retreat struck a chord in Darsh, inspiring him to take the bull by the horns with a 100 day challenge to reshape his habits.
This challenge was no walk in the park, involving 15 tasks every day to stretch both body and mind. One of the biggest mental obstacles was committing to run 5km daily, rain or shine. Though hobbled at times, Darsh soldiered on, learning to observe negative thoughts and then let them float away like clouds.
Take a moment here. What 15 tasks would you choose to do every day?
The Vipassana retreat and subsequent 100 day trial by fire taught Darsh invaluable lessons about overcoming hardship through grit and discipline. He parlayed these insights into taking his PT career to the next level. Helping as many people as possible boost their fitness, mindset and lifestyle.
“I get to help people. I can definitely relate to them in that sense…you don't need these external validation, you don't need these substances to allow you to feel confident, because, believe it or not, that's where I was at.
And I think I've just built these habits to a point that it's become so innate in me that I want to be able to pass on whatever I've learned throughout the years.”
Fitness Tips for Remote Travellers
The biggest barricade is mindset - people see training as merely preparation for a vacation rather than an enduring lifestyle. Reframing training as an integral part of your lifestyle ensures you can fit it in wherever your travels take you.
Darsh consistently trained for 6 whole months while globetrotting in a car with minimal equipment.
Rings are fantastic portable gear along with resistance bands for effective bodyweight workouts. You can also just use basic moves like push-ups, squats, planks, tailored to any location.
“The best things I had when I was going when I was travelling as well were definitely the rings.”
Motivation alone kickstarts you - sustaining discipline is key to render training non-negotiable, regardless of circumstances.
“Again, we overcomplicate social media, you know, you got some guy doing backflips, you got some guy doing all sorts of strange stuff, when you can keep it down to the fundamentals, your push ups, your squats, your pistol, those can be done anywhere.”
Establishing the mindset that fitness is a lifestyle, not just a short-term goal, makes it simpler to persist anywhere. At the end of the day preparation and discipline beat motivation; envision obstacles and excuses in advance to conquer them.
With the right mindset and minimal equipment, you can train consistently amidst the constant change of travel.
“The greatest thing is we have access to YouTube these days. And you can just throw in whatever you might want. And a complete bodyweight workout can be such an effective way without the use of the gym.”
Body Language is Everything
We talk about better posture for health a lot, but posture is also crucial for your body language and communication too! Darsh once only trained certain muscle groups, resulting in tightness and poor posture. He now balances front and back in workouts to maintain alignment and symmetry.
“Body language is such an important key whenever we meet people when we're communicating with people. You know, if it's slouched over already, some people get an idea of the type of energy you're going to bring.”
Since using Nexstand, Darsh has noticed huge improvements in his posture and less discomfort. It enables him to gaze at the screen correctly, opening up his body rather than hunching his shoulders. He feels more energised and productive with an open, upright posture.
“I do notice that it has a bit of an effect on productivity as well…. I'm actually getting more done, which is a bonus on that side as well...I can just keep going.”
Proper posture is critical for projecting confidence through body language and preventing pain. Imbalances from partial training can cause poor posture. A holistic fitness approach promotes symmetry and alleviates tightness. Maintaining an upright, open posture boosts communication and energy levels. Simply put, posture profoundly impacts how others perceive you - so stand up straight!
And let’s not forget how easy it is with K1 and K2 laptop stands.
“I think that's what I love the most is like you can literally put in your bag”
“Discipline Beats Motivation”
Darsh's story tells an inspiring journey from an unfulfilling optometry career to finding his passion for fitness. Through hard work, he overcame unhealthy habits and continues striving for self-improvement.
Now, as a personal trainer and digital nomad, Darsh helps others boost their health and lead more fulfilled lives. His tips can assist anyone in maintaining fitness and good posture while travelling or working remotely.
When asked who he would most like to train with, Darsh chose Bruce Lee - not just for fitness, but for the philosophical wisdom Lee provided around mindful movement. Darsh’s winding path shows that with perseverance and self-knowledge, we can transform our lives for the better.
He’s living proof anyone can turn things around at any moment!