<p>Who would have imagined that exercise would all of a sudden consume our lives? Blame it on Covid-19, which confined us to the four walls of our homes, counting not stars, but the errant spiders in the ceiling, or wandering from room to room to kill time, or staring at cracks in the joints, hitherto unnoticed. No wonder then that the opening up of parks, fitness centres, pools and recreation clubs, was accorded such a rousing welcome.</p>.<p>The telltale signs in the most awkward regions of the physique were enough to reveal what had been missed and explained the masses making a beeline to these treasure troves--to walk, to jog, to play, to swim or simply let the hair down. But supreme among them all were the parks, nay the woods so lovely, dark and deep, replete with the creatures shy of appearing in the day. The young and the old, the weak and the strong, the healthy and the sick, all were there, donning colourful masks, one of the three weapons against the deadly foe. And behold the scene!</p>.<p>There’s the man who seems to be walking on air for fear of trampling upon a passing insect, so measured are his steps; the lovebirds meandering around as they catch up on their way to their workplace; the maid who saunters along, snatching a break from the drudgery of the kitchen; arthritis stricken elderly woman hobbling painfully; the young man complete in his sports gear, racing past triumphantly; the gigantic man with the walrus moustache taking huge strides; ladies ambling along, their toddlers in tow; the burly man whose midriff appears a second ahead of him, the gentleman issuing orders to his subordinates as he swaggers; not to forget the ones doing asanas or pranayamas under a wintry or warm sun, and the little ones at the play area – all with the single-minded purpose of ensuring their daily dose of exercise.</p>.<p>Which got me thinking of our forefathers who toiled in the fields the whole day and came back to a well-earned meal and a good night’s sleep. To whom terms like diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol were Greek and Latin, yet what healthy lives they led! But alas! We live in a different world-- a world that glues us to our seats for hours, a world that is terrifying yet fascinating as it engulfs us in its orbit! So habituated are we to this, that we cannot think of the other. Just like the new normal imposed by the pandemic!</p>
<p>Who would have imagined that exercise would all of a sudden consume our lives? Blame it on Covid-19, which confined us to the four walls of our homes, counting not stars, but the errant spiders in the ceiling, or wandering from room to room to kill time, or staring at cracks in the joints, hitherto unnoticed. No wonder then that the opening up of parks, fitness centres, pools and recreation clubs, was accorded such a rousing welcome.</p>.<p>The telltale signs in the most awkward regions of the physique were enough to reveal what had been missed and explained the masses making a beeline to these treasure troves--to walk, to jog, to play, to swim or simply let the hair down. But supreme among them all were the parks, nay the woods so lovely, dark and deep, replete with the creatures shy of appearing in the day. The young and the old, the weak and the strong, the healthy and the sick, all were there, donning colourful masks, one of the three weapons against the deadly foe. And behold the scene!</p>.<p>There’s the man who seems to be walking on air for fear of trampling upon a passing insect, so measured are his steps; the lovebirds meandering around as they catch up on their way to their workplace; the maid who saunters along, snatching a break from the drudgery of the kitchen; arthritis stricken elderly woman hobbling painfully; the young man complete in his sports gear, racing past triumphantly; the gigantic man with the walrus moustache taking huge strides; ladies ambling along, their toddlers in tow; the burly man whose midriff appears a second ahead of him, the gentleman issuing orders to his subordinates as he swaggers; not to forget the ones doing asanas or pranayamas under a wintry or warm sun, and the little ones at the play area – all with the single-minded purpose of ensuring their daily dose of exercise.</p>.<p>Which got me thinking of our forefathers who toiled in the fields the whole day and came back to a well-earned meal and a good night’s sleep. To whom terms like diabetes, hypertension or cholesterol were Greek and Latin, yet what healthy lives they led! But alas! We live in a different world-- a world that glues us to our seats for hours, a world that is terrifying yet fascinating as it engulfs us in its orbit! So habituated are we to this, that we cannot think of the other. Just like the new normal imposed by the pandemic!</p>