Urgently required:
a painless, inexpensive, strong
medication that could
combat killers like cancer,
heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, osteoporosis,
obesity, blood pressure,
keeping you trim and fit.
Doctor’s prescription:
Rx.- Walking
15th and 16th century tombs of the Sayyid and Lodhi Rulers
Is it possible to have a panacea for all ills? Apparently, it is.
The cure is both simple and universally accepted. It costs nothing, requires no equipment or paraphernalia and travels with you wherever you go. To keep well – research and the experts say – you just have to take a regular walk. The strong drug that is literally at your feet could turn out to be the tonic for just about everything that ails you. It incorporates exercise, stress reliever and head clearer of choice, it helps you shed unwanted weight, fights fatigue and ageing. Walking is a stamina booster, but to get the best out of your perambulating, you must walk right!
Experts recommend 4 to 5 days a week for at least 30 to 45 minutes. The key is to get your heart rate pumping up to aerobic capacity. This simple regime is strong medicine and the results could be medicinal magic. Walking is one of the easiest exercises that can control and prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, back and joint pain and heart disease. Walking cuts your chances of developing heart problems in a number of ways.
It minimises the risk factor of the heart by getting rid of unwanted weight and counteracts some of the destruction caused by lipids, the cholesterol molecules that float through the blood stream. Walking keeps lipids from sticking to arterial walls and reduces the likelihood of a clot formation that is the chief culprit behind heart attacks. Pushing yourself to the maximum is not the way to boost your health. In fact, building your stamina slowly is more beneficial and much safer.
After surgery to remove a lump in her breast, Susan was stiff and very sore. To add to her discomfort, she was put on medication that increased her weight. She knew immediately that she had to shed the kilos quickly to prevent herself spiralling into depression. Susan tried the gym, aerobic classes and half-hearted attempts at the tread mill. Ultimately, she had to face facts, she was getting nowhere and she was bored! One day, in desperation, she accompanied her husband on his daily walk around Safa Park in Dubai. To her utmost surprise and her husband’s dismay, her stamina increased, the extra kilos disappeared, her soreness toned down and she started drinking more water. If you have a weight problem, increase in stress levels or problems coping with life in general…just take a WALK!
Go, explore. For instance, take a walk through the mountains of the UAE and unwind your being, advises John Young, a consultant and fitness enthusiast and expert living in Dubai. The Emirates appear to be flat desert terrain with a few undulating sand dunes located inland. However, further to the East and North the dramatic stark backbone of the Hajjar Mountains rises to form the Musandam Peninsular that pierces into the Arabian Gulf to form the Strait of Hormuz.
To the East and North of Ras al Khaimah, much of the Musandam peninsular is formed of limestone rock that through geological history has been compressed and rotated to form dramatic rugged mountains. Although there is not continuous running water in mountain areas, the increased rainfall at high altitude often leads to more vegetation and a more fertile and hospitable environment. The major hazard of walking in the mountains is the extreme temperatures and the possibility of dehydration. It is preferable to organise walks in winter though the mountain areas can be exposed to ‘Shamals’ (sandstorms) and stormy weather with heavy rain which brings the mercury down rapidly.
If you have lived in Delhi, chances are you must have visited Lodhi Gardens. It is almost a natural choice for morning strollers and evening walkers. A brisk saunter through the gardens is like a lesson in history. The tombs of Sayyid and Lodhi Rulers of the 15th and 16th century, together with Muhammed Shah’s, built in 1450 A.D., became a prototype for the Mughal style. A delineation which would ultimately evolve into the Taj Mahal. It is not unusual to witness a Laughter Club Meeting or indeed a cluster of people learning Chinese meditation techniques of Falun Gong, or observe a yoga class spreading positive vibes to fellow walkers energising themselves with their daily constitutional.
