What if the road to reclaiming your health, sanity, and strength didn’t begin at a gym, but with a single step—on a sidewalk, at dawn, with no plan in sight? That’s exactly how Rohit Sakunia’s journey began. No personal trainer. No fancy gear. Just the resolve to put one foot in front of the other.

From feeling stuck and overwhelmed to walking over 7,300 kilometers in a single year—Rohit’s story isn’t just about physical transformation. It’s about how movement became his medicine, walking became his therapy, and discipline became his greatest motivation. If you’ve ever felt lost and unsure where to start, this real-life story might be the push you need to simply start walking your way back to yourself.

When 39-year-old Rohit Sakunia, founder of ARTE Media, began walking, it wasn’t with the intention of rewriting his health story. There were no fancy trackers, no grand fitness plans, and no public proclamations. Just a quiet, deeply personal decision to move—both physically and emotionally—through a difficult chapter of life. What started as a way to cope with a personal setback became a transformation that saw him walk more than 7,300 kilometers in a single year—a distance equal to walking from New Delhi to Reykjavik, Iceland.

This is not just a story of endurance. It’s about discipline, emotional resilience, and redefining what fitness really means when you're nearly 40 and striving to reclaim your twenties.

Rohit's journey began in late 2018 following a deeply personal and destabilizing event. With no history in fitness or athletic discipline, and a lifestyle far from ideal—loose clothes to hide weight gain, impulsive eating, and emotional disconnection—he found himself spiraling. "I wasn’t a drinker, so alcohol wasn’t an option. But I was anxious, depressed, and had no idea how to move forward," he says.

In that haze, walking emerged not as a fitness resolution but as a coping mechanism. “I needed to feel like I had some control over my life. Walking just a few minutes a day gave me that.” What started with 3,000 steps grew steadily into 10,000 and beyond. Despite criticism—“You’re just chasing a number from some Japanese marketing campaign”—Rohit stayed the course. “So what if I was? I wasn’t hurting anyone.”

Walking as Therapy, Not a Trend

By 2023, what began as a simple daily routine became a full-fledged commitment. Rohit clocked in 20 kilometers every single day, rain or shine, sometimes even more. “Some days it was 25, others 30. Shimla was particularly intense; I had time, space, and nature—and that fueled me.”

Yet, the transformation wasn’t just in kilometers or calories burned. “It wasn’t about fitness at the start. It was survival. Solitude. Sanity. Just me, my thoughts, and the road,” he reflects. Rohit explains how the rhythm of walking gave him something he hadn’t found in years: clarity.

“The emotional and mental shifts were profound. Every morning, I’d spend two hours with myself. No phone buzzing, no meetings, just fresh air and honesty. It helped me process grief, fear, self-doubt—all the things I didn’t even realize I had buried.”

By the end of 2023, Rohit had covered a staggering 7,300 kilometers on foot—an achievement few can claim. But the journey didn’t stop there. “As empowering as it was, I realized I needed more than just endurance. I needed strength.”

Now, he maintains a consistent 12-kilometer walking routine daily and has added strength training to his fitness regimen. “I’m no longer chasing step counts. I’m chasing growth. Peace. Power. Discipline.”

This shift in mindset—from metrics to meaning—marks the real milestone. “It’s not about proving anything to the world. It’s about honoring a promise I made to myself: to not quit when I had every reason to.”

No fitness transformation is complete without dietary changes, and Rohit’s case is no exception. His diet today focuses on clean eating: generous servings of green vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. He follows intermittent fasting and drinks around 3.5 liters of water daily.

“I don’t believe in extreme restrictions. It’s about consistency and balance. I make sure my meals are aligned with my fitness needs—enough protein, carbs, and hydration. The goal is to feel nourished, not punished.”

Micro Habits, Major Discipline

Rohit’s routine is a masterclass in how small habits can create massive change. From walking during meetings to taking stairs instead of elevators and logging 6,000–8,000 steps after dinner, he’s woven movement into his everyday schedule.

“It’s not about finding time. It’s about making time—even when your day is packed. That’s where discipline > motivation.”

He also emphasizes how fitness became his non-negotiable: “Work can wait. Emails can wait. But showing up for yourself? That’s a priority.”

Now in a phase of maintenance and evolution, Rohit’s goals have evolved. “I’m building a lifestyle, not chasing a finish line. I want to see what my best self looks like—just once. And I want to do that with intention, not obsession.”

For anyone starting out, his advice is straightforward: “You don’t need fancy plans. Just start walking. You don’t even need motivation—just a reason. And once you begin, honor that commitment with everything you’ve got.”

And sometimes, the most radical thing you can do for your health is something as simple, and as transformative, as putting one foot in front of the other.

Tired of following multiple weight-loss diets and not seeing any results?

While many may recommend combining a strict, high-intensity workout routine with healthy food, Instagram-famous fitness trainer Tarn Kaur, who managed to lose nearly 40kg in less than a year, has revealed the 'weird' habits that helped her get back in shape instead.

Here is what the former lawyer, now online coach, recommends:

1. Keeping Treats Out Of Sight

Kaur noted in a lengthy Instagram post: "If I don’t see it, i don’t eat it. Hiding tempting foods has saved me from so many unnecessary snacks. out of sight, really, does mean out of mind."

2. Chewing Gum Like A Lifeline

The fitness expert revealed that she likes to eat a piece of mint after meals or whenever junk food cravings hit. "It’s like a little pause button for my brain and stops me from reaching for junk," she noted.

3. Planning Indulgences Ahead

In order to avoid binge eating or consuming excessive calories, Kaur logs her treats in an app even before she consumes them. She clarified that she likes to track her treats so as not restrict herself from eating but to 'take control and enjoy food without guilt'.

4. Checking If It's Worth It

Kaur explained: "If a food won’t give me pure satisfaction, I skip it. Life’s too short to feel bloated for something mediocre. My body deserves better." The trainer believes life is too short to feel bloated over something mediocre and feels her body deserves better.

5. Saying “I'm Full” Out Loud

Kaur mentioned that saying “I'm full” out loud helps signal her brain that she's done eating and prevents mindless bites when she's not paying attention.

6. Skipping Bread And Extras

Citing the phrase 'out of sight, out of mind', Kaur admitted that restaurants used to once be her downfall but now she steers clear from bread baskets and chips while dining out.

7. Portion Awareness With Clothing

The trainer also mentioned that she steers clear of comfy joggers as they often led to endless grazing for her, while fitted clothes served as a gentle reminder to respect portions and stay mindful of her body.

8. Throwing Away What Doesn't Serve You

Lastly, Kaur told her viewers that while leftovers tempt her, they do not align with her goals go straight into the bin. For her, it is not about guilt but about choosing herself first.

Apart from this, Kaur also recommends swapping traditional Indian tea with black coffee, white rice with cauliflower rice, packaged juices with electrolytes, fried snacks with baked veggie chips, sugary biscuits with almond flour cookies and white bread with wholegrain bread to maximize benefits.

Looking for a short daily exercise that can improve your heart health and make you live longer by about two decades?

In a podcast episode of The Diary Of A CEO, Dr Rhonda Patrick has claimed that the Norwegian 4x4 exercise, a cardio-focused intense workout, can help your heart become stronger and increase the body's oxygen-burning ability.

The scientist and health educator commented: "Everyone's obsessed with steps. I need to get my 10,000 steps in, my 10,000 steps. But I think we need to change the 10,000 steps to at least 10 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise.

"You could do 10 minutes of any type of exercise that's really going to get your heart rate up and it's going to be so much better."

What Is The Norwegian 4x4?

It involves performing four minutes of intense exercise at a 85 to 95 percent max heart rate, followed by three minutes of recovery. This type of HIIT exercise is meant to be repeated four times for maximum benefits.

While this style of working out can be applied to a variety of sports including cycling, swimming and rowing, Dr Patrick suggests using the 4x4 method while brisk walking and 'tailoring' it to your preference.

"I would say the Norwegian 4x4 is the gold standard. Specifically how I do that, I do my warm up and then I do four minutes of hard exercise. I take a break and the exercise I'm doing in those four minutes can be an assault bike. You can do a rowing machine. You could do a stationary cycling machine as well," she said.

When asked if running was a viable option, Dr Patrick added: "You can. I think it's better than doing like maybe a bike or a salt bike or something. And you are going as hard as you can for that four minutes and maintain within that four minutes."

READ MORE: This 2 Hour Activity Can Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk, Study Shows

Not only can the 4x4 improve cardiovascular function by making the heart stronger, it can also increase the body's ability to use oxygen, a critical part of maintaining overall fitness as well as shows significant fitness gains in a short amount of time, making it ideal for busy schedules.

"You want to kind of work your way up that, but then work your way up as you as you do it one week, two weeks, you know, a month later, two months later. That being part of an exercise protocol was shown to reverse the structural changes that occur with age in the heart by 20 years," the expert added.

How Much You Should Exercise To Maintain Heart Health?

The American Health Association recommends performing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking, dancing and gardening or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity, such as hiking, running, cycling or and playing tennis or a combination of both, preferably spread throughout the week to maintain heart health.

Moreover, regular exercise can also reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia and Alzheimer’s, several types of cancer. It can also help improve sleep, cognition, including memory, attention and processing speed.

Dr Hayes recommends opting for a cardiac evaluation such as an electrocardiogram, or EKG; stress test; a cardiac MRI or CT scan to generate images of your heart if you notice changes in your ability to exercise or cannot perform consistent levels of exercise.

Playing sports as a teenager may reduce your risk of breast cancer in the future, a Breast Cancer Research study shows.

Researchers from New York, US and Toronto, UK have discovered that young girls who play sports, whether organized such as dance and football or unorganized for at least two hours in a week showed lower breast water content, which can stop the growth of cancerous cells and prevent cell damage.

Rebecca Kehm, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. noted of the results: “The importance and urgency of this research are underscored by the rising incidence of breast cancer in young women and the alarmingly low levels of recreational physical activity observed both in this study and among adolescents globally.

Also Read: Scabies Cases Rise Across The UK This Winter: Know The Early Symptoms

“Our findings suggest that recreational physical activity is associated with breast tissue composition and stress biomarker changes in adolescent girls, independent of body fat, which could have important implications for breast cancer risk.

The scientists also found that teenage girls around the age of 16 who were involved in physical activity has low oxidative stress in their urine, indicating that their body has a healthy balance between free radicals (unstable molecules) and antioxidants.

Why Is Low Breast Water Content Good For You?

In adult women, about 50 percent of the mass in normal breast tissues is made of water. Multiple previous studies have shown that cancerous breast tumors contain 1.6 times more water and significantly low fat than healthy levels.

This can lead to increased cellular hydration in the breast which can pave the way for excessive cell division, alters tissue structure and can impact metabolism, making water a key factor in tumor characteristics and progression.

Read More: India Loses A Woman To Breast Cancer Every Eight Minutes

Additionally, excessive breast water content also changes the tissue's physical properties which can lead to swelling which can increase breast size by more than a cup size, a feeling of fullness, tightness, heaviness, skin thickening, or a "peau d'orange" (orange peel) appearance.

Low water content acts as an indicator of low breast density and oxidative stress-related biomarkers in the urine, which signals a healthy amount of antioxidants in the body and cell growth as well as death is occurring at a normal, healthy rate.

Is Breast Cancer On The Rise In India?

One factor that sets India apart is the age at which women are affected. Almost half of all breast cancer patients in the country are younger than 45. This is a much higher proportion than seen in many Western nations, where the disease is usually detected later in life.

Moreover, sedentary habits, excessive consumption of processed foods as well as alcohol and smoking promotes obesity and hormonal changes which pave the way for breast cancer development.

The researchers noted in the study that they are yet to conclude how playing sports can reduce breast water content and oxidative stress.