Running away from weighty troubles to a healthy lifestyle

The past year has been a rollercoaster ride for most of us from being locked down in our homes to finding new ways of keeping ourselves entertained, developing new hobbies, and rekindling the love for hobbies that we had previously forgotten, our lives have undergone massive transformations. So, when I found myself stuck at home in Chandigarh after nine years of transit from one city and state to the other, I decided to run away from my problems.

Devoid of a gymnasium where I could melt away almost a decade of generous helpings of Hyderabadi biryani, shawarmas, deep-fried vadas, and banana chips, I decided to join a gym to get in shape. But no sooner had I left the gym after paying the membership fee that the first lockdown was announced. Undeterred, I decided to invest in a treadmill, against the advice of my relatives, who felt I would yet again make excuses to not use it. At first, I could barely walk for 30 minutes at a stretch, let alone running for more than a minute. Every short spell of a minute’s running would be followed by a very long break of watching shows on Netflix. But with time, I decided to trick my mind. I started watching my favourite shows while walking on the treadmill. I even walked the talk, quite literally, scheduling all my phone calls for the hour that I spent on the treadmill. Before long, I was running for a couple of minutes at a stretch, aided by

The Crown and Money Heist on Netflix.

For someone who weighed over 100kg, every second that I spent running sent shivers of pain from head to toe, but every second felt equally liberating, as if I had discovered a part of myself that I never knew existed. Nine months down the line, I feel more agile than I have ever been, I weigh 26kg less, and get my most creative brainwaves while running.

I did run into a problem with my weight loss though. I no longer have any clothes that fit me. But it’s a good problem to have, and I’m not complaining.

If someone asks me to run a marathon, I hastily concede that I still can’t do that yet. What I can do, however, is run a few kilometres at a stretch with short breaks. More importantly, however, I have discovered an inner grit that I never knew existed. No problem appears too big now, and whenever in doubt, I always remind myself that if I could go from not being able to run even for a minute to running for 10 minutes at a stretch, I can do anything that I set my mind to.

I have also found new relationships with food. The cheese-burst pizzas and butter chickens that I loved gorging on earlier, are now anathema to me. I do indulge in a weekly cheat meal but having understood how difficult it is to burn those calories, I now stay away from junk food by choice, rather than a compulsion.

Running has done wonders not just for my physical health, but also for my mental well-being. If only I knew how much it pays to run away from one’s problems, I might have done it earlier!

I STARTED WATCHING MY FAVOURITE SHOWS WHILE WALKING ON THE TREADMILL. I EVEN WALKED THE TALK, QUITE LITERALLY