Dust and dug-up roads hinder regular walkers

With parks closed and all apartment complexes shutting down their gyms, regular walkers, who love their morning strolls, and fitness freaks are finding it difficult to look for alternatives to their exercise regimes.

Many parks in the city have closed
down until further notice.

Many have no option but to walk on the road. Those who live in apartments are walking inside the complex. Jose Koshy, the committee member of the association of Harmony Homes on Hennur Road, which has about 100 apartments, says “Older people have stopped coming out and are following the advisory. Those who are used to walking outside are now walking inside the complex. We had yoga sessions which have been stopped. We understand that people have devised exercise regimes that suit their convenience.”

Lalbagh has the largest number of walkers. It has been closed for the public. Sixty-five-year-old Prof Sadashiva Reddy, president of the Lalbagh Walker’s Association, which has about 800 members, points out that many older people are finding it hard to adapt to online fitness suggestions and prefer to still walk in the open.

“Older people find it hard to walk on the road because of the dust and the poor condition of the roads. People who have gym equipment at home use it, others are staying indoors,” says Sadashiva. Nobody wants to run the risks of exposing themselves to the open.

There are a large number of walkers in Basavanagudi, especially in and around Madhavan Park. Chetan Devaraj, communication consultant, a resident of Basavanagudi and a regular walker, points out that there’s a drop in the number of walkers.

“I still walk and use the space around the park to complete my morning walk. But that isn’t working because the condition of roads around the park have been dug up for upliftment works. The work is left undone and the common man is at the receiving end,” says Chetan. He adds that the road is dirty and not cleaned regularly either.

Old Bengalurean and a long-time resident of Kalyan Nagar, 62-year-old Nalini Sashidhar used to walk in the park close to her house for as long as she can remember. “I have stopped going to the park or walking on the road, instead, I’ve started walking on the terrace of my house. This doesn’t compensate for walks in the parks, but it helps one stays indoors and remain safe,” reasons Nalini. She feels it is the social responsibility of every citizen to stay indoors and comply with the government order. “I still hear of people taking a stroll in the park, saying that nothing will affect them. This callous approach to Covid-19 must stop,” she sums up.

Other popular walking paths like the Sankey Tank are also empty. Radhika Suresh, a resident of Sadashivanagar, who walked for an hour every day, around the Sankey Tank, says “My routine walk has been compromised but I think this is better than staying outdoors. I have no alternative to exercise. I have made amends to my diet and made sure that I eat healthy and cut down on food that could trigger health problems,” she says.