The World of Exercise
K S S Pillai
During my childhood, I was astonished by the stories of yogis meditating on top of remote mountains or deep inside dark caves, sometimes standing on one leg, without food or drink for a long time. It was said that one was so engrossed in his meditation that ant-hills formed around his body while he continued to chant God’s name.
Physical fitness was a holistic pursuit, focusing on balancing the mind, body, and soul. It was deeply rooted in ancient traditions such as Yoga and Ayurveda, where physical health was a necessary foundation for spiritual health. Yoga and Asanas that built flexibility, endurance, and strength were designed as physical postures to prepare the body for long hours of meditation.
Different religions encouraged their followers to treat their bodies as temples of God. Fitness was viewed as essential to maintain health to serve Him better. Activities that built strength, including swimming, archery, and horseback riding, were encouraged to prevent laziness and to ensure that one could fulfil obligations like fasting and prayer.
It is an irony that people worry about their health while consuming all kinds of ‘fast food’. Health clubs managed by professionals have proliferated, and there is a surge in people from all age groups joining them.
These expensive clubs keep machines designed to exercise various parts of the body. They also have dieticians to advise the members on the food they should consume and its quantity. Health foods are available at all retail outlets.
The tasty fast foods, once available only in a few countries, are now available even at roadside stalls at all hours. They contain heavy fat and are protein-rich, making all health freaks wrinkle their noses.
Bicycles have emerged as the forerunners in the world of health. Most people keep stationary exercise bicycles with speedometers and other devices at home to exercise. Bicycle Clubs with modern bicycles with gears and speedometers have sprung up in cities, and their members pedal through highways, wearing helmets on holidays.
It is another matter that they own luxurious cars for daily movement. Big cities have built separate bicycle tracts and kept some of those vehicles at strategic points, inviting the public to use them for transportation.
There was a period when it was compulsory to get a license if you wanted to travel by bicycle. It was mandatory to have bells and lights, powered by dynamos, on them.
To outwit the thieves, a bicycle was fitted with a lock on the rear wheel. Before leaving the bicycle at a public place, the owner would double-check that it was locked.
There was a time when bicycles were the only means of transport. During the 1960s, the average price of a bicycle was ₹.200. As many could not afford that amount, dealers had started hire purchase schemes. Several papers had to be signed, and photographs affixed. A representative of the dealer would verify the facts by visiting various offices.
There was a concession of one rupee for those who paid the monthly instalment in time — instead of ₹.18, they had to pay only ₹.17. Bicycles, once a part of every common man’s household, have become expensive. Only a few people owned bicycles in my village when I was young. One was a police inspector, whom the villagers used to look at with awe when he pedalled through the narrow roads, wearing his uniform.
There were a couple of shops that lent bicycles on an hourly basis. There were many roadside mechanics to repair bicycles. Their main business was to repair the wheels with flat tyres.
They would remove the tubes from the tyres, find the offending nail or thorn, show it to the bystanders, and repair the tube. If the tyre had less air, the cyclist would take the pump and fill the tubes with air. If you wanted the mechanic to do it, he would do so for ten paise.
Time has transformed everything. Bicycles have been replaced by motorised vehicles, roadside mechanics have disappeared, and maintaining health has become a lucrative business.
(The author is a retired professor of English. He is a regular contributor to ‘The Kashmir Vision’. His articles and short stories have appeared in various national and international publications)
