City realises benefits of morning walks

KANPUR: It is 4:45 in the morning. Sky is still studded with stars and pearly drops of morning mist can be seen on the grasses of a prominent city park. As the atmosphere resonates with twitter of sparrows, a few good looking young men and women cover brisk paces in their track-suits and joggers-shoes.
Move over face-lift and nose reconstruction! Switching over to Atkins diet or gyming with 40 pound dumb-bells can be put on hold.No need to decrease calories content and attend 30 day weight loose crash course too. Morning walk, city residents feel, is the best.
Kashi Mishra, a graphics designer, says: "The type of work I do slouching on computers for hours needs utmost concentration. And, when I start walking during morning hours, my productivity has certainly gone up."
There are several beneficiaries of morning walk in the city who count its advantages on their finger-tips. CP Shukla, a insurance surveyor by profession, says: "I have been going on morning walk for the past 20 summers. It has helped me perform well professionally, zero out unnecessary tensions and improved over-all personality." Smilingly he adds: "It has helped me look good too."
Doctors say that morning walk is best horizontal exercise while swimming is best vertical exercise as each joint of the body is regulated during them. Talking to TOI, Dr Pankaj Srivastava says: "A research related to modern-day life style says flab can cause depression, a second preaches that 60 minutes of moderate physical activity can add one year to your life."
"With modern day life-style really affecting our lives negatively, morning walk along with swimming is best exercise for us," Dr Srivastava added. Morning walk has helped lot of women in battling the bulge. Not only working women, but women who spend day in 24x7 idle domesticity are walking brisk paces in city parks and if not possible, they are doing it in their lawns.
Sudha Murthy, who has severe arthritis, says: "I cannot go outside because of my disease. But I make it a point to walk in the confines of my home to control my disease." Another housewife says: "A three-year country-wide study suggests that two in three urban women over the age of 40 are either obese or underweight. I joined my husband in morning walks one year back to cut down obesity."
And which is best joggers park in city for residents? CSA Agricultural University, followed by Cantonment area, Motijheel and Nanarao Park figured very high on the list of morning walkers.
Shukla says: "The natural aroma and fresh air of Agricultural University completely revitalises the battery. But, other places like Motijheel and Nanaro Park are cramped for space and people are often seen rubbing shoulders while walking."
Dr Srivastava points out: "As urban populace gets increasingly sedentary in its demeanour, life-style diseases add to doctor's dictionary, the desire to be healthier, feel better and reduce weight picks momentum in our society."
And that is the reason for growing popularity of morning walkers. City residents are not procrastinating and not slacking in their commitments and they are helping others to be aware of the benefits of morning walk.