HealthyMobility Challenge
Human body is designed for walking, running, jumping and climbing across the planet Earth. However, human beings today are drifting away from their nature by inventing ways to make distances faster. This has led to a great increase in obesity and obesity-related diseases. Today, more people are killed due to obesity than poverty. Consumerism and style fashioned by media calls for humans to go for comfort ignoring physical exercise so vital for human health. I am a Social Work student in Peshawar University and I used to take the bike from hostel to campus, a car around my city Mardan and a private vehicle for tours. But after being motivated by Youth 4 Public Transport (Y4PT) of changing my life style for at least a month, I decided to take matters into my own hand or my feet to be more precise. I convinced my friends to do so too. The first one to be converted was my brother Zeeshan and cousin Ejaz, then my mentor Basit and my other friends like Haseeb, Ajmal and Younas and ramiz. I would go on foot to campus every morning and would join Basit on a walk to the park where all our friends would gather. I used public transport for moving around the country instead of my car. The benefits of these changes are quite clear to me now.I feel fit and healthy. My self-confidence has increased and I feel more able to tackle with the demands of life on me. I also feel more attractive and macho. Time spent walking for me means time taken off from the stresses of my daily life. I feel less anxious and more happy. In the morning when I was walking, it stretched my mind and widened my soul. Walking felt like It is a dynamic mind & body process. Walking across gardens creates a sense of rhythm and a music of your self with the nature. As I listen to my own silent rhythm, the pulse of life, my own heartbeat, my foot steps – I felt like I have become one with my nature, a complete man - fit in Mind, Body and Soul. In the morning walking to the campus energized me, awakens me and stills my mind to fully relax. With the change of mind my moods change and I experience a physical and a spiritual upliftment to become positive. As I would relax in my class, my perception changed and I reached from the everyday conscious mind to your highest level of mind - the intuitive mind and it paid off with great participation in life. My subconscious uplifts through the mental stress, releasing latent vitality and creativity, transcending traditional linear thinking and helping you find a creative solution. The earliest hours in the morning gave me fresh oxygen and quality time to spend with the greenery and beauty around me in Peshawar university. I felt like a writer or poet and start thinking like a philosopher instead of thinking of driving. Driving is a stressful thing to do especially in Pakistan where traffic rules are often not observed. You feel safer in walking and you feel comfort as health is wealth. Using public transport like buses give you a chance to mix and blend in the society and have a taste of culture. You see many people and you forget about your trouble. It helps your social skills and you often come across old friends and also make new ones. So simply, in this month, I felt my heart is strengthened, I did not get sick, Improved my mood and self-esteem. The activated hormones also made me feel more attractive, intelligent and confident.
Muhammad Junaid Mandoori
Fdf_143@yahoo.com
