Let's move it, move it

Our lives have become increasingly comfortable physically compared to our ancestors. We don't have to constantly move for food or live in constant danger of being attacked by predators as humans have managed to put themselves at the top of the food chain. However, this all came with a cost, our lives have become more sedentary, we move less, and day by day it is becoming lesser and lesser. We move so little that most of us have to join a gym or include some regimental exercise routine in our day-to-day lives to get that required dose of physical activity. Joining the gym is easy, but regularly going to the gym is not, planning to exercise is easy, but doing it every day is not. This is why we all plan but fail to execute, then, plan again, but again fail to execute, and this cycle continues. I was trapped in this cycle. 

Once I join any gym, I go regularly. However, for me, the big challenge is to find a gym close to my apartment as I am not an enthusiastic driver. It is hard to find a gym that is open when I want to go and also reasonably priced as I don't need any fancy stuff. Rarely any gym used to fit these criteria. Also, I think that one does not need to join any gym or any other club to remain fit. Hence, I started to have my own exercise plan. There is only one routine, do it every day, no fixed time, no fixed routine, no fixed place, just move. I feel the biggest hurdle to being physically active is that we don't move. Many of us have desk jobs, we either drive or take public transport, we watch TV sitting on a couch or chair, and we do most of the stuff where little or no movement is required. Therefore, I feel it is important to move, no matter how, when, and where, just move. 

I plan to do at least 30 minutes of physical activities every day. This can be walking, skipping on the spot, weights, yoga, stretching, dancing, or a combination of any of these activities. There is no set routine, it depends on how I feel and what I want to do on that day, I just need to do that every day. No breaks, unless there is a compelling reason to take a break (like travel or sickness). This has helped me a lot. First, I don't have to join any gym to remain physically active. Second, I can do my exercise any time of the day, so, it is flexible, it is not like after some time I cannot do it as the place is closed. Finally, I can choose my routine and set my own daily targets. For everyone who is struggling to remain physically active, my suggestion is just to start moving, regularly, diligently, and with intent. Include physical activities in your daily routine, for example, walking instead of driving, or exercising while watching TV, rather make a rule, your first hour of TV watching will include at least 30 minutes of physical activity of your choice. 

If you struggle to find a time slot for your exercise, don't keep exercise as a separate task, club it with something that you love to do or you have to do. Make your exercise a part of any daily activity, like work, watching TV, or talking on the phone, so that your exercise happens while you perform that activity. Mix a variety of physical activities so that you don't get bored with your routine. Include things that you enjoy, if you like to dance, pair it with aerobics, if you like yoga, club it with weights, and so on. Start with small and reasonable goals. The goals that are achievable for your age and physical abilities. Once you get into the habit of achieving those goals, then, gradually ramp up the speed and time that suits you. Don't start with a lofty target to show off, that will only make you feel frustrated and dejected after the first week. If you have time, read about the research related to the effect of movement on our general well-being. The research suggests that movements affect almost every system of our body, mental as well as physical. The best physical activities are where we also involve our mind, this gives us a wholesome workout. So, friends, let's move it, move it. Let's make our general well-being a mission. 

Thank you for reading and please share your views on this topic. 

Vinay can be reached at thevinay2022@gmail.com

How to remain physically active during the pandemic

I don't think anyone imagined that 2020 would turn out to be the way it has been so far. None of us expected that a pandemic would grip us so hard that the entire world, even after 1 year since its discovery, is still trying to figure out how to deal with it and there is no definite timeline about when we can go back to our pre-pandemic lives. One of the many challenges we face is how to remain physically active when many regions place restrictions on public movements, gyms are closed, the outdoor options are heavily limited, we are shopping mostly online, and many of us are working from home. Regular physical activity is supposed to be an integral part of our lives and it is also important to remain healthy, more so in the age where we can spend endless hours in front of a screen without exhausting our options. We don't need an excuse not to move, we have many, rather, we need an incentive to get away from screens, and the pandemic made things more difficult for us.

Like many, I also faced the same challenge, more so when winter arrived as I don't enjoy the cold weather and refrain from going out in the bitter cold. So, the challenge is how to remain active with all these obstacles. One solution I found worked for me very well is to set hourly or bi-hourly targets rather than daily targets. There are a couple of advantages to this approach. First, the hourly targets are not that huge, a target of 15,000 steps per day looks like a tough target and requires planning the entire day carefully, and if we are at 7k steps by 7 PM we may give up and not try to score the remaining 8k steps as it looks too much to achieve in a short time. However, 1000 steps per hour is a comparatively small number, even if we score 500 in that hour it's not that difficult to make up the remaining 500 in the next hour. Also, planning an hour looks easy compared to planning the entire day. Second, as these targets are relatively small we can choose to perform them while watching some show or talking with someone on the phone. This allows us to multitask, we do not have to set up a separate time to exercise, and we can talk to someone while we walk or watch our favorite show or movie while doing some cardio. Finally, achieving our target every hour keeps us well on track to achieve that bigger number at the end of the day or even exceeding it rather than losing our motivation and giving up as we lag behind the task because we planned an exercise slot which we miss every now and then due to some excuse. 

I understand that this approach may not work for all, and some of us need to find our own method to remain physically active. The point is we all need to be mindful of the changes unique to us and adapt accordingly. Also, our home design, immediate surroundings, type of work, familial situations, and even the weather might present their own challenges and we need to maneuver around them. For example, I live on the ground floor, and to achieve my target of climbing 10 floors per day I need to climb to the first floor of our apartment complex. I am sure that in the beginning, upstairs neighbors must have been wondering why they heard footsteps every now and then without anyone showing up. We need to invent new ways to adapt, innovate new ways to remain active indoors, and make use of technology to achieve our tastes more efficiently. No doubt this pandemic has presented unique challenges for us, but we are more than capable of dealing with these challenges. We know the challenges, some are personal and some are social. We all need to invent and adapt. Be creative and be supportive of the people around you. Remember, our individual challenges are unique and so will be our solutions.

Thanks for reading and please share your opinion about this topic. 

Yoga is beyond any religion

International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21st June, and whereas the whole world participated enthusiastically in this event in India some people and politicians managed to create controversy over this event also. Actually, there is a section of the political and social class who have the habit of looking at everything through the prism of religion. Somehow they try to link each and every issue with their own or some other religion and start debating over it from a religious angle. Because of this, they are often successful in converting even a simple and benign event like International Yoga Day into a controversial subject. There is a section of society that is very eager to link whatever originated in the Indian subcontinent to Hinduism. This is the same section of society that starts saying that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life when someone objects they can't force Hinduism practices on people from other religions. I personally believe that Hinduism is a combination of many different faiths practiced in Indus Valley civilizations. It was not like Abrahamic religions which have some sort of written manuals in the form of holy books with clear instructions about what to do and what not to do, but eventually, it has become indistinguishable from all other religions as far as practiced Hinduism is concerned. Therefore, in today's world, the term Hindu or Hinduism represents a particular faith or religion not just a way of life. As far as the way of life argument is concerned all religions in one way or another are supposed to be a way of life. Some people like to link Yoga with Hinduism, I don't know what is the logic behind it except that this is also a very ancient practice like Hinduism. I also don't understand what they get out of it apart from some false sense of ownership. Then, there are people from other religions in India (especially Islam and Christianity) who buy this argument and try to oppose these things without understanding the intentions of people who try to claim appropriate Yoga. This creates communal tension or religious conflict, this is how some people managed to turn an international Yoga Day into a communal controversy. 

According to me, it is completely wrong to associate Yoga or for that matter any form of exercise with any particular religion. Any physical exercise like Yoga, martial arts, gym, or any other activity is performed to remain healthy, the aim is to have physical and mental workouts. The main aim is to achieve good health, there is no need to mix any religion with any of these physical activities. The main controversy associated with Yoga is because of the use of some chants like "OM" during some pranayanamas, as many Hindu shlokas also contain this word, some people try to create an impression that the word Om is something special and as it is exclusively associated with Hinduism, and if you practice Yoga you might be indirectly practicing Hinduism. This is such a silly argument. Actually, if anyone feels that by chanting Om they jeopardize their religious identity then they are free not to do it, they can choose any other word they are comfortable with. The main aim of pranayama is to focus and calm the chaotic mind, one can use any word which helps to do that. There is absolutely no need to put special emphasis on one word Om, insisting its use is as ridiculous as opposing its use. People perform Yoga for their own benefit, if they think it is not suitable for them then definitely they can choose any other form of physical activity that suits them more. Yoga is not just chanting Om or a few aasanas, it is a whole body and mind workout, and it can be very beneficial if performed properly and regularly. The same is true for any other form of exercise. Another very important thing to keep in mind is that these things can be extremely harmful if not performed properly they can result in serious physical injuries. Yoga is not for everyone, also, it is as good or bad as any other form of exercise.

I hope that when the whole world gladly accepts Yoga as one of the useful physical activities to maintain a healthy lifestyle, people from India will also accept it as a form of exercise not as some religious ritual. Whether they practice it or not is their personal choice and they have complete freedom to choose whatever form of physical activity they feel is more suitable for them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If Yoga can unite the rest of the world, then I am sure all Indians also can unite or at least not fight with each other over this simple issue. Yoga or something else, remain physically active, stay healthy and stay happy.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]