MYSORE: For this 75-year-old man, climbing Chamundi Hills is a cakewalk. H S Jagannath, a resident of Vidyaranyampuram, who is in his mid-seventies, has been climbing the hill daily, for the past 34 years. A retired employee of TVS Tyres, he leaves his home at 4.45am, starts climbing the steps at 5.30am and reaches home back by 8 am.
He claims that by climbing thousands of steps everyday, he is healthy and fit, with zero ailments, in addition to inhaling fresh oxygen everyday.
“I was suffering from high Blood Pressure along with Diabetes. I then realised the importance of exercise. As the hill was just 2.5 km away from my house, I thought of climbing the hill. After I began climbing the Hill daily, my health returned to normal and I feel quite comfortable,” he says.
“Some believe that by climbing hill frequently, one suffers from joint pains and other problems. It is true only with a few, not everyone. For the most, hill climbing is a very good exercise,” he adds.
He says climbing the hill is not difficult, but one should maintain a regular pace both while climbing or coming down. "Some people in their enthusiasm, climb 100 steps without any break and relax for 10-15 minutes. That is not correct. While climbing do not sit down in between. If your are tired, pause, take a deep breath and when heart beat comes to normal start climbing again. That way you can enjoy climbing tirelessly,” he says.