THEATRE TALK WITH MANAV KAUL

Walking- The Undemanding Scheme To Stay Hale and Hearty!

“He, who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.”   

Human body is a definitive exercise engine. In this world of machines, people prefer to sign up for gyms and other fitness classes and are seen doing vigorous activities to shape their bodies. But how about the people over an age of 40 years; Are they ready for a heavy workout at a gymnasium everyday apart from their daily business? In the era of modernization, most of us have overlooked the conventional form of exercise known as Walking. Only because it sounds too simple? It is not just an exercise. Infact, a lot more can happen over a walk. Let us find out.

In today’s frenzied lifestyle, with an idea to budge my slothful body I decided to forfeit my Saturday slumber and set off for a sunrise walk. In the earliest hours of the morning when the crack of dawn was on its way, I arrived at Vardhman Sunset Point (Managed by Nagar Nigam, Bhopal), located in front of Kamla Park en route to old Bhopal. Following the swarm of morning walkers, I took a turn for the Pathway; a well constructed trail for walking and other exercises. The moment I stepped on the track, channels of energy opened up inside my mind, body and soul. As I was set in motion to increase my rate of knots, I was magnetized by the exquisiteness of scenery around the follow; Lush green grass with plunges of dew, spruced hedges bordering the way, rocks with gentle water streams on my left and a continual lake flanking all of it. With that reverberation of water waves drumming the edge of the edifice and the stroke of airstreams from the heavens, I endured the spirit of meditation. The outlook was positively an indulgence to my eyes.  Moving further, I engaged myself in observing the citizens just about and their performances- while few were concerned with their Yoga practice, others were seen walking in groups, few with ear-phones plugged into their ears, some with Bhajans being played at volumes on their cell phones and the remaining strolling with silence. Not only humans, I could also see dogs giving a great company to their owners for a morning walk. Absorbing the atmosphere in the region, I realized nothing at all was a work of fiction. Certainly, an innate setting of a natural world it was.

On my stride back towards the way in, I was attracted towards an assemblage of morning walkers. It was a group of six people who tagged themselves as Mandli and each of them above an age of 50 years. Hari Om; they enchanted as a means to greet each other. In good shape, they appeared in casual attires and sport shoes. Meeting the “old in age but youthful in spirits” gentlemen, my journalist instinct settled on to have a conversation with them over Walking.

My first question to them was, Why Walking? To which, Mr. V.K. Juneja (Retired Archivist, National Archives of India) gave a compounded answer- “The initial idea behind walking is fitness. It also works as a mood regulator by revitalizing our body, mind and soul. Apart from that, it is a means to meet new people and stay socially active on the go.” I then asked them about their walking schedule and regularity, they responded saying- “Most of us have been walking for the past 10 years on a habitual basis. The splendor of Pathway at Vardhman Park attracts us every single sunrise which is why we have sustained the activity of walking.”  He is now retired but never will be tired.

Talking about their walking memo, they launch it at 6:15 a.m. in the morning, empty stomached and cover a distance of nearly 3 kilometers in 45 minutes at a steady pace. Few prefer music while walking and for others, silence around speaks a lot. Looking for replies over regularity, Mr. Alok Goswami (A Charming Businessman) surprised me by his startling answers- “I am a man of commitment.” (A Salman Khan fan he seems). We all have heard about “Fear of Heights” but he had a very unusual one which can be termed as “Fear of Widths”. This gentleman had noted down his body dimensions in the year 2004 and pledged to preserve them for a lifetime. No matter what weather condition it is, he uses an umbrella in a drizzle and wears a raincoat to walk during heavy rainfall. Fascinatingly, he has contributed a special day to his walking career; September 5^th, the day he got committed to walking. Recently, he celebrated the 9^th Walking anniversary with all other interesting members of his Mandli. He might be getting older every year, but he is growing younger each day.

Next areas under discussion were how walking has played a role regarding medical concerns, health and fitness. Referring to weight issues, Mr. Satish Kumar (Sr. Geologist, Geological Survey of India) stated- “A regular walking exercise helped me fight the evil of obesity and has eventually reduced the extra body fat.” Talking about blood pressure problems and breathing difficulties, these walkers articulated that the fresh oxygen which they get in the early morning and the quality time which they spend with greenery have aided them in increasing blood circulation and cardiovascular strength. Walking has enhanced muscular endurance and made their joints more flexible. The serene atmosphere around has contributed to their brain fitness and mood improvement. This has gradually trimmed down their cerebral strains and anxieties. The walking activity has energized their body and has guided their mind to relax. This Mandli of morning walkers is now immune to ill health.

Gathering views of how walking has changed their lives, associates of this Mandli adjoined motivating dimensions to the answers- “Walking is an opportunity to get away from city’s pollution and find time to fall in love with the beauty of nature around. We feel so young, lively and pleased about our fitness over 50.  Walking to us was once a form of exercise and today it has turned into a beautiful experience where we have learned to make friends at this point of age and interact with people we meet on the track.”

Each day after walking, this Mandli sits together for about 15 minutes and shares the daily happenings. They entertain each other with jokes and breaking news and provide encouragement and moral support whenever needed. And when these 15 minutes are not enough, they visit each other’s place for a cup of hot tea and toast which they think is the modern age breakfast of Bhopal.

It did not end here. Heading home, I saw an out of the ordinary old man who was rubbing a tube of scent on everybody’s hand; Mr. H.N. Malviya who is also a regular walker at Pathway. Wondering about his strange act, I asked him the very moment and he replied cheerfully- “I believe in spreading the essence of happiness and that’s the reason I apply scent on everyone’s hand because when our brain receives the aroma, it gets stimulated and makes us feel happy.”

Isn’t that an encouraging tale? Well, we need to think on this. From the instant we get in the morning till we scramble into bed at night, we are on and off our feet. As an exercise, walking costs nothing; no pricey devices; no membership charges. All it does is burn down calories and that too without burdening the body. It is the easiest and safest way to re-energize ourselves and makes us experience a good health with deep relaxation. It is a vibrant progression which creates a sagacity of rhythm. As we listen to our own silent cadence, the pulse of life, our heartbeat, we attain he degree of completeness in Mind, Body and Soul; Walking is an ultimate philosophy and it strikingly utters- Be Healthy, Stay Wealthy! It definitely is an undemanding scheme to stay hale and hearty.