TN Health Minister Ma Subramanian participates in a marathon to encourage physical exercise

Ma Subramanian, Tamil Nadu’s Health Minister, is a fitness freak and has run over 120 marathons in just about seven years. On Sunday, he led by example and ran the talk – he clocked 21.1 km in just 2 hours and 8 minutes to emphasize the significance of physical exercise during a pandemic.

61-year-old Subramanian, former mayor of Chennai and a close confidante of Chief Minister M K Stalin, set out for the marathon at 4.45 am from his residence in Guindy along with his running mates. After running through some of the landmark roads, Subramanian culminated his marathon at the Kalaignar M Karunanidhi memorial on Marina Beach a little after 6.45 am.

Marathons are not new to Subramanian, whose appetite for running and physical exercise is never-ending. Though he has participated in 128 marathons since 2014, the 21-km Sunday run was special as this is the first time, he participated in such an event after taking over as Health Minister on May 7.

“I participated in the virtual marathon to create awareness about the importance of running during a pandemic. People should know physical exercise boots immunity and that is precisely the reason why I ran for 21 km to tell people they can keep off viruses and infection if they exercise regularly,” Subramanian told DH.

A 15-minute video clip of Subramanian’s marathon posted on his verified Facebook page went viral with over 4 lakh views till Sunday evening.

The minister is arguably the fittest politician in Tamil Nadu – he wakes up at 4.30 am and exercises for an hour before beginning his official engagements. He has also been posting pictures and videos of his daily exercise, especially when he is on tour to districts to review the Covid-19 situation.

“I am sure people will understand the importance of physical exercise. I feel it is my body’s immune power that saved me from severe Covid-19 infection. When I contracted the virus in September last year, I felt body pain for just two days. I think exercise made all the difference,” he added.

Having participated in marathon events in 12 countries, including the United Kingdom and Norway, and in 21 Indian states, Subramanian says regular exercise has helped him keep his diabetes under control since 2014.