There was a time when a squat in the toilet brings pain.

Choose a suitable place; one with others exercising, away from traffic and close to plants.


They start so early, even before the lights are off.


Each goes to do his or her own particulat type of exercise.


Walking and jogging are good exercises almost anyone can do.


When you read my title, you might think I was referring to constipation or hard stools due to taking too much hot stuff which might need some exertion to send waste products out of the body, resulting in the medical condition known as haemorrhoids; in which the veins at the anus becomes swollen and painful and sometimes bleeds.

But sorry, I was certainly not referring to that. I am talking about pain in the joints as a result of inactivity. For those who have been leading a sedentary life and approaching the age of fifty, getting up from a squat in the toilet would bring pain to the joints in the knees and the pelvis.

Elvis definitely had no such pelvic pain as he obviously had sufficient exercise in grinding his hips each time he shakes onto the stage. His career was one in which there is assurance that he would get sufficient exercise. I know, he did have a tummy that protruded a little. But then, so does so many active people. I do not consider that obese. It’s merely a little extra saved for a rainy day. The only difference is that rainy days are rare compared with our hunter ancestors. The difference is that they do move enough.

Exercise is one of the essential things in our life. And without it for a long enough period can lead one to obesity, really too much fat, and a number of other medical problems. Because obesity can lead to so many sicknesses, we ought to have a way to prevent it. Exercise is one of them. Consumption of correct food and appropriate amount is another.

All of us are vulnerable when it comes to obesity. However, there is someone I knew who could never put on weight no matter how much he ate. But then, I am not saying that that is healthy. (I will tell you more about that in another posting.) As far as I know almost all of us can be obese if we allow ourselves to.

Look at some of our more prominent sports people after their period of fame. Satisfied with their achievements, a good number of them retired from exercise and put on fat while eating the same amount of food they had been used to consuming when they were active and needed the extra calories. Gradually, slowly but surely, they assume their new shape.

Well, at least these sports-men or women no longer need that much fitness any longer. All they need is to stay healthy and continue moving by taking walks. But, take a look at some people who are still working in jobs which require a hundred percent fitness. Look at some physical education teachers! Look at our law enforcers! Look at people in the army! There are some in such jobs who do not appear to be able to perform at a hundred percent.

So, to stay in good health, exercise is a necessity. There is no need to be as trim as models or as fit as marathon runners. Exercise just enough to live life well; able to stand up without joint pains, can walk at a comfortable pace so as to be a part of community activities and still capable of enjoying life.

As someone rightly said, “The aim is not so much putting years into our lives as putting life into our years.”