Forget 10,000 steps. This 71-year-old clocks 33,000 steps daily, covers 24 km in 5.5 hours

Living in an apartment has its advantages - from avoiding traffic to steering clear of stray dogs - and for 71-year-old Dr Mangalore Vittal Kamath, it has enabled an extraordinary daily walking routine. A resident of Salarpuria Sattva Greenage on Hosur Road in Bommanahalli, Dr Kamath covers 24 km daily, completing 33,000 steps daily in 330 minutes, or five-and-a-half hours, in the 21-acre complex. A dental surgeon, Dr Kamath began walking 5 km daily in 2008 as part of a New Year’s resolution. Within two months he increased his goal to 10 km, and later to 15 km, eventually integrating a 24-km walk into his daily routine - a habit he has sustained for the last decade. Explaining his motivation, he says, “I want to stay fit until I die. I don’t want to be a burden on my children. My pace is consistent as my target is not to run but to walk briskly.” His daily schedule is planned meticulously. He starts at 3.30 am, walking for 90 minutes and covering 7.2 km before sunrise. After a two-hour break, he resumes at 7 am for 60 minutes for another 4.8 km. He walks again for 45 minutes between 12.30 pm and 1.15 pm, covering 3.6 km. The final stretch – his longest - begins at 4 pm, during which he completes the remaining 8.4 km in 135 minutes until 6.15 pm. Over 18 years, he has walked an estimated 1,28,000 km. “The greenery in the apartment complex fills me with energy,” he says, adding that one round around the complex measures 1.3 km. Rain or shine, Dr Kamath never skips a day. A former Karnataka SSLC topper, he ran a multi-specialty hospital at Haveri for 38 years, before moving to Bengaluru last May to teach at a private dental college. His commitment to walking 33,000 steps daily comes above everything else, even work. “If I don’t meet my target of 33,000 steps (24 km), I can’t go to sleep.” His Brahma Muhurta schedule eventually cost him his job, but he does not regret it. “I had to choose between my walks and a lucrative job, and I happily quit my job. Even while caring for his mother in her final days, he did not miss a day’s walk. Travel also has never affected his daily walking habit. He has maintained his routine in more than 80 countries, including Eastern Europe, the United States and at high altitude Pangong Lake in Ladakh. “Remember, your mind is way stronger than your body," says the walking enthusiast. Dr Kamath’s pre-dawn walk is followed by a shot of garlic, turmeric, ginger and curry leaves, which he believes boosts immunity and digestion. A diet of millets, green vegetables, dal and fresh salads helps him stay fit. “My vital signs are normal, and I don’t take any medicines,” he says. Climbing stairs is his other passion Dr Kamath is also an avid stair climber and holds several national and international records. His achievements include climbing Batu caves in Malaysia, covering 272 steps in six minutes; Rockfort Vinayak in Tiruchirapalli, covering 437 steps in five minutes; Muktinath in Nepal, covering 300 steps in four minutes; and Shravana Belagola Hill, covering 650 steps in seven minutes.