The bliss of a morning constitutional

I succumbed to the pleasure of morning walks rather late in life, in my fifties, when I was staying in a government flat close to the Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi. The Lodhi Gardens is a haven for walkers, with the tastefully laid flowerbeds on each side of the walking tracks and the wide expanse of the carefully nurtured legacy garden with wonderful fresh air.

In the 1990s, Delhi was not as polluted as it is now; and during winter, walkers could be seen enjoying the sun and nature even late in the day. The only problem used to be the fairly large number of keen walkers walking in opposite directions, forcing one to give space from time to time.

But the garden was a pleasure to walk, and I enjoyed most days walking in its luxuriant expanses. One could spot not only colleagues and friends sharing the pleasure of walking but also well-known political figures and Ministers enjoying their time in the garden, closely followed by their security staff.

The cardinal rule was that you never stop and break your walk to exchange pleasantries or gossip if you meet a friend or colleague; just raise your hand and walk ahead. Everyone understood it.

A rather amusing experience which I had once was when on my way to the Gardens early in the morning, I was stopped by a roadside constable on duty and asked to look away from the road because the Prime Minister’s convoy was about to pass that way. The feeling of insecurity after the assassination of a former Prime Minister was so high that the VVIP security arrangements, sometimes, extended to a comical level.

The Central Park in New York is another great place not only for walks but also to unwind. Since it was some distance away from where we lived, it was only a weekend refuge. But walking was a pleasure on the side of the East River close to the apartment where we lived, thanks to the multiple postings one had while being in public service.

As the saying goes, New York City never sleeps, and even at five in the morning, vehicles will be zooming on the riverside roads. But the city had thoughtfully provided nice walking tracks on the side of the river, and one can walk happily among the many avid morning walkers who thump a cheerful “hi” and pass on.

After I retired and settled down in Bengaluru, the practice continued with a vengeance. Now, that one had a lot of time on hand, walking for an hour every morning became a routine and passion. Happily, the apartment complex where we chose to stay has adequate space for walking, though perambulating through the blocks of buildings makes it somewhat monotonous. More like the circumambulation which we perform while visiting temples. But the limited number of keen walkers in the residential complex makes you feel comfortable, with no jostling crowds as in a park since the younger age group have their eyes (and feet) focused on the in-house gym rather than on what makes the elderly happy.

Most of the co-walkers, as would have it, are those who have imbibed the spirit of walking not only for health reasons but also for pleasure. Except that one has to be watchful for the occasional crow tousling your hair or a child cyclist honing his skill.

The occasional boredom in going round and round the building complex would sometimes force one to look for the parks nearby. Fortunately, there are a few at a walking distance. One of them fairly large, but no comparison to the 60 acres of Lodhi Gardens though, has a large pond, a mini-lake so to say, which offers an alluring view and invites you to walk around it. The vacant area where the park is located was about to be converted into a legislature complex some years ago; but the vigilance of the residents’ association saved the day for us morning walkers, and it now offers a wonderful walking arena.

Books on elder healthcare advocate the benefits of walking for at least 30 minutes a day. But it is not just the health factor that motivates most of us, the community of morning walkers to trudge along. So, what makes one an avid morning walker? The compulsions of mandatory exercise surely motivate, with the fond hope to reduce the calorie build-up. But more than that, it is the pleasure of imbibing the nature’s beauty all around that one sees and enjoys when walking, the feeling of life in its many throngs, that make us ponder over the blessing of life itself. The changing pattern of weather creates its own shades and variations which again fills our hearts. It is also the feeling of happiness arising from meeting the enthusiastic co-walkers. It is an education by itself to see how each one takes to walking: some fast, some slow, and some just perambulating! And each has his or her way of spending time while walking the way they choose. Some listen to music through earphones attached to their mobiles, some talk on mobiles while some thankfully take a break from the social media. Everyone has his or her style, preferences and choices. Walking has many patterns, shades and character, all different from each other.

Ability to walk is a god-given gift. One can only imagine the pain felt by those who are not fortunate to be able to walk freely. The pleasure of a walk in the garden or a preferred track is something to be experienced and enjoyed.

Indu.sethumadhavan@gmail.com