Sedentary Exercising

Ved Prakash Grover

Ved Prakash Grover is finding company. Persistent pain in his knee joints prevents him from standing too long and exercising like the rest of us. So every morning, for the past eight months, he has been lugging a chair from the China Hut and does his exercises sitting down. This is the best he can do of a bad situation.
Grover is not alone with a bad knee condition. Even otherwise, there are people who now require chairs in the middle – if not to exercise, but to rest their legs for a while.

Exhausted: Mallika Kagzi and Nahid Siddiqui take a breather

Earlier, somehow they could manage, but these days, in the energy-sapping heat, an extra chair or two has become more of a necessity during the exercises.
So when Banoo Apa came limping in this morning, frantically looking for a place to sit, she couldn’t really be blamed. Sardar Teja Singh also needed a chair yesterday, but graciously waived off the suggestion.

Santosh with Tabassum and Gulzar

Today Sitaram Hivarkar said that he cannot take it standing for too long and therefore, perforce has been staying away at home. Kiran Prakash goes home early because he finds it awkward to be sitting while the exercises are on.
Mallika Kagzi couldn’t care less because she has found some steps to relax, close to where we exercise. Occasionally Fehmida Khan gives her company. But Srichand Arora today demanded a chair for himself, soon after conducting the free-hand exercises. Arun Patil also requires a chair these days because his diabetic foot is turning gangrenous. It is pretty serious and he is taking medication. But like the rest of us, he cannot afford to miss the Garden.
Meanwhile, in what came as a pleasant surprise, Tabassum Gulzar showed up today after a visit to Bijnor from where she brought us a box of its famous sohan-papdi. It was unlike any sohan papdi anywhere -- the flaky confection disguised as juicy, golden yellow barfi-like cubes. For most of us, this was a first-time indulgence.
Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
Sultry weather, thin attendance and on top, increase in the number of members requiring chairs are not healthy signs. Something has to be done. One way is to start early or reduce the exercise time temporarily. Activate the think tank.