Lack of Awareness on Physical Fitness is Worrisome – and How ‘Wellness 10:31 Gym’ is benefitting Mokokchung

Mokokchung Times Exclusive | January 4

Wellness 10:31 Gym in Sangtemla Ward, Mokokchung is planning its first outdoor fitness challenge for 2023 in P Shilu Park beginning at 12:30 p.m. The competition will include Squat, Push Press, Chin up, and Skipping for both men and women.

Vin Lolly Vashum, Certified Fitness Trainer ESA, ACSM, Mumbai, The Steiner Training Academy, London, and his wife, Alemrenla Jamir, Educator Counselor and Human Development Analyst, founded Wellness 10:31 Gym in 2020, and the couple has contributed immensely in improving many lives through their service.

However, Wellness 10:31 Gym almost did not happen but as Alem would describe it, “It all started with a cup of lemon juice.”

According to Alem, they never intended to settle in Mokokchung because they were both appointed to international schools in the south.

“I was appointed as the HOD in Karunya University’s Psychology department in Coimbatore, but right before we were supposed to leave after the pandemic, without knowing anything and from nowhere, clients started knowing us and calling us and made us realize that our people need us here. And eventually we decided to reside here.”

“We were penniless when we first started,” she continues.

“Without anything, we just rented an apartment that cost us nearly 9 thousand but with great faith, we rented the apartment where one room was for therapy and one room was for the gym and exercise. That was the beginning of our story but slowly, we could not fit the people that were coming in for the treatment,” added Alem.

Their service got even more popular as Alem hosted shows on radio stations at times, and gradually, the couple had so many clients that they struggled to accommodate them all.

“I am positive it was the hand of God that has permitted us so far that slowly, we had enough money to rent another house and now we are entirely involved in it.”

Wellness 10:31 Gym, derived from 1 Corinthian 10:31, believes in “do everything for the glory of God.”

The trained couple offers personal and group training in the areas of Exercise, Physical Recovery, and Personal Therapy in the areas of Counseling and Psychotherapy. The duo also offers unique services to children with special needs such as Autism, ADHD, and others.

“So far, we have approximately ten clients in total requiring speech therapy, with hearing impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and children as young as five years old who have a thyroid problem,” the couple explained.

However, based on their years of experience, the couple believes that those who solely receive psychotherapy recover more slowly than those who are also subjected to physical workouts.
“Physical activity balances their hormones and chemicals like adrenaline and serotonin, and when combined with psychotherapy, people recover and mend faster,” explained Alem, and as a result, the wellness gym is dedicated to delivering both psychotherapy and physical exercise.

When it comes to group training, the couple says it is for regular people who want to stay active. However, when it comes to personal training, they believe the training must be designed in order to accomplish different goals based on their body types and lifestyles.

Speaking on Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alem believes that “ADHD used to be inborn, but today it’s like a wave.”

“ADHD is inborn, however if parents are not cautious in their parenting skills, their child may acquire ADHD at a young age like 3, 4 years,” she said.

Alem went on to say that ADHD mostly develops when parents do not spend time with their child.

“Most of the time, parents hand over mobile phones or leave their children with TVs and screens, and there are parents who chastise their children in an impolite manner. As a result, all such children may slowly become victims to ADHD.”

Response of Mokokchung

The couple believes that Mokokchung is gradually opening up to mental health and fitness. Despite the lack of advertising, Alem claims that individuals used to simply tell others about the services they offer and that when they heard about it, they contacted them.

“I often ask my clients, what made you choose to come here and they would answer, ‘we went to many physicians and took a lot of medication but the medicines had a significant influence on us and we could not get out of medicine and so I felt the need to seek psychotherapy that is why we came’. As a result, they willingly recognize that they require assistance and are not hesitant to seek it.”

“Furthermore, it is their parents and spouses who bring them, indicating that their families are supportive of them. As a result, I feel the inhabitants of Mokokchung are doing extremely well. They frequently stated that they did not have such services previously and would consequently travel to Shillong or Dimapur. As a result, they sincerely seek therapy from us,” explained Alem.

Success of Clients

According to the couple, they had several successes, including a youngster who could not speak a single word but was able to speak and communicate after a year of therapy.

“People who had severe schizophrenia diseases for three to four years improved. Following that, people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were brought in and healed.”

“A girl who had epilepsy for three years and was continuously on medicine came for therapy and now the epilepsy is gone, and an arthritis couple who were unable to move for one month while receiving personal therapy recovered.”

“A 16-year-old boy weighing 98 kg lost 21 kilograms in 5-6 months with no dietary restrictions. He was in the early stages of schizophrenia as a result of the bullying and all, but he is now recovered,” the couple added.