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 Young
techies in India rarely think of flexing their muscles, but in a
health conscious country like the US many have found a new passion
— golf, writes Mohan Babu
A healthy
mind lives in a healthy body, so goes the popular adage. In a country
where medical insurance and treatment of illness - as I expounded
in an earlier column of mine — can be exorbitant, it is of
paramount importance to lead a healthy lifestyle, actively taking
part in sporting activities and/or exercising regularly.
I
remember the first time I came abroad. In a span of less than four
weeks, I managed to gain about five kilos and it is not hard to
see how. I was gorging on veggie burgers with cheese, coke —
rich in sugar and of course enjoying sumptuous Indian dinners with
friends at local Indian restaurants. A few weeks of this lifestyle
and I realised that I had to make a conscious effort to control
my diet and imbibe another facet of American life — taking
to exercising regularly.
In
India, young techies rarely think of flexing their muscles, content
that the humdrum of daily existence is sufficient to sap one’s
energies. Walking a few blocks to the bus-stop or even auto/taxi
stand, a few stairs up to the first or second floor and other little
bouts of ‘exercise’ adds up to burn calories. However,
in the US with very little incentive to burn calories in the normal
course, one is more motivated to make exercising a part of one’s
routine.
One
does not need to look far for avenues to exercise and stay healthy.
Of course, the multi million dollar health industry makes enough
buzz in the form of advertisements and hoardings everywhere that
one is constantly reminded of the need to exercise. Those inclined
to take up sports and games, which they enjoyed in their childhood
and youth, also have ample opportunities open to them in the form
of local clubs, tournaments and what have you. Most cities have
a range of clubs to choose from — clubs for judo, karate, hockey,
soccer, tennis, racquetball, badminton and other athletic activities.
It may come as a surprise, but a few large cities in the US have
their own cricket leagues too. A friend of mine who used to play
for his university back home didn’t think twice about driving
150 miles to a nearby city every weekend to take part in their tournament!
Of
course for those not inclined to playing games, gyms provide an
outlet. Many large apartment complexes invest in their own exclusive
gyms, so do some large companies. The YMCA aka ‘The Y’
is a popular chain of health and fitness with centers spread in
cities across the country. The Y that I frequent is a huge complex,
complete with its own indoor full-sized swimming pool, basketball
court, racquetball courts and mechanised gyms. Of course, there
are dozens of private and commercial chains of health and fitness
centers that one can join. In the year 2000, 54.5 million Americans
over the age of 6 (22 percent of the population), exercised at a
health club. Of this number, a projected 32.8 million were health
club members. A 7 percent rise over the 30.6 million projected for
1999. The net for profit sector (YMCA’s, JCC’s, hospital-based
clubs, residential, municipal, university and military facilities)
account for 38 percent or 13.1 million members.
Americans
tend to take their exercising quite seriously, spending huge amounts
of time and money on personal trainers, fitness evaluation, exercise
paraphernalia etc. They also tend to chalk out religious plans for
exercising. Most Indians on the other hand, tend to skip the expense
of personal trainers etc, content to follow a yo-yo pattern - exercising
regularly for a few weeks and then slacking till they feel that
they need to start again. Of course, there are few amongst us who
are quite sporty and go the full nine yards.
Speaking
of sports and exercising, golfing is probably the most popular sports
that middle-aged men take up. It not only helps one get up and about,
making participants walk a few miles, but is also seen as a handy
tool for business managers and executives to network. Many of my
fellow techies, in their early thirties feel that they are ‘too
old’ to be jumping and hopping in the gym. They are taking
to golf like ducks to water. Even yours truly went down to the nearby
mini-golf range and swung a few buckets of balls over the labour-day
weekend. He is contemplating going down to the nearby range with
a few buddies to learn the finer nuances of birdies and boogies.
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