Just gave my P9 today, September 24, 2016, at Bombay Toastmasters Club. It was after exactly 11 months that I gave a speech in different circumstances but the will to deliver the speech was high and so could do it. The speech objectives were:
- Persuade listeners to adopt your viewpoint or ideas or to take some action.
- Appeal to the audience’s interest.
- Use logic and emotion to support your position.
- Avoid using notes.
- Time: 5 to 7 minutes.
How many of you sit in front of the computer all day? Did you know that sitting is more dangerous than smoking and kills more people than even HIV? We are sitting ourselves to death. Prolonged sitting increases the risk of developing serious illnesses like cancer, heart diseases & type 2 diabetes.
Toastmaster of the day, fellow Toastmasters and guests, welcome to the uphill journey
Now that you are all ears, the next thought that comes to your mind is to join a gym. But then far too many people quit going to the gym. WHY?
- Time constraints – You don’t wake up early in the morning think “Wow! I am going to hit the gym and will enjoy myself sweating it out”, do you?
- Expenses – A Gym membership costs money and if you, like me, know you are going to be regularly irregular then why waste money?
- Prolonged results – We expect to become Salman Khan having done 2 weeks of gymming. The mirror doesn’t lie and one look in the mirror is de-motivating enough.
What if you have an outdoor regimen with the cool wind blowing on your face early morning as you explore new places, see the sun rising and hear the birds chirping? And in the midst of all of these, you could actually exercise? I discovered one – Cycling.
Apart from all the fun, cycling has tremendous health benefits.
Cycling is low impact and hence easier on my joints than running – Marathon runners, Hasnain, Omkar and others please note. And it is low impact for the road too. The BMC Commissioner requested me in private not to run in Mumbai saying “We are already drawing a lot of flak for the potholes. God forbid if we have swimming pools or craters, we would be finished. Elections are coming up so please help us.” Jokes aside, in case of cycling, the injuries per 1000 hours is 6 whereas the same count in case of running is 11.
It improves heart health – A study found that cycling 35 kms a week can reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 50%. Much like toning your leg muscles, your heart muscles need to be put to work to stay healthy as well. When I started cycling, 10 kms and I was panting. Now I do 30 kms on weekdays and on weekends I do anything from 70 to 100 kms.
It helps lose weight – I know you are wondering if it has made a difference to my body at all but someday you will see that change in my waistline. My weekly goal is to complete 100 kms on the cycle during the 3 days that I go for it. Don’t give me those dirty looks please!
It helps strengthen muscles – My yoga teacher will confirm that I am now able to lift my leg up 90 degrees on the wall in poses which I could never do before. Your legs definitely end up much stronger as you go on pushing the pedal. And if you are riding on slopes, you will huff and puff on the way up but the ride downhill will make it worth the effort.
Is it all health related only?
Cycling makes so many friends. By participating in group rides, I come home smiling having met new people. And we have a group of our own, The 3 musketeers and our Sunday rides are always centred around a food joint.
It teaches teamwork – When you ride in a group, you have to hasten the slow movers and at the same time slow down the bullet trains. If there is a puncture or any other breakdown, the whole group stops and comes out in support of the person affected.
Goal setting and achievement – When I am on the saddle, my only purpose is to better my previous time. It is always a race against myself to better my average speed. And I did it from 14 kmph in 2013 to over 18 now.
Can I have a show of hands on how many of you are willing to take to cycling? Go to the nearby cycle shop and rent a bicycle. Set a target and work towards it. My target is to go to Lonavala in 2016 for which I am working hard. After that 2017 would be the BRM 200 in which you do 200 kms in 13.5 hours. After all, it is just a mental hill that I can ride and tide over. So why not? Come join me at 6.15 tomorrow morning at Dadar TT.
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