Motivation comes easy in Hong Kong. People take time out to exercise and work on their health. Every region has its own swimming pools and sports clubs and they are put to good use by the residents, says Suveera, in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
The pleasant chill in the air is just beginning to set in, announcing the arrival of winter, much like the homecoming of a dear friend. The entire island seems to be joyous, the trees seem a shade more vibrant, 
and the chirping of the birds a bit more melodious. It is indeed the best time of the year in Hong Kong. The time to be outdoors enjoying the delightful weather, and to put on those walking shoes. For me personally, it is the time to readdress my fitness goals, the pleasant weather leaving no scope for procrastination. Not anymore.
Isn’t it always true that we become so caught up a life that our own fitness and health takes a back seat? Just like concentric rings get added to a tree as it ages, our girth increases with each passing year. It is meant to be! When a tree can’t escape it, surviving barely on air and sunshine, what chance do us doughnut eating humans have? Yes! Blame it on nature.
Or we could blame it on our hectic schedules. We poor souls running from office to home and back, caught between the endless circles, or constantly chasing the children all day, keeping ourselves awake with heavy doses of caffeine.
There could be yet another excuse. Our health. The aching back, or the hurting knee, and we wait till it 
gets better, to actually work on our health. So what comes first? The chicken or the egg?
I have used all of these excuses to fool myself time and again, but maybe it’s time to wake up from the slumber.
Motivation comes easy here in Hong Kong. People take time out to exercise and work on their health. Every region has its own swimming pools and sports clubs and they are put to good use by the residents. It is a common sight to see young and old together enjoying a game of basketball, some just watching, waiting for their turn on the court. Even the elderly who might find it a bit difficult to walk, bring their indoor games, outdoors. It’s inspiring to see their will to be up and about.
There are fitness classes galore. All the latest fads in fitness find their way here very fast with a fitness club at every corner.
For those of us who prefer to take the nature’s path, there are ample hiking trails, with breathtaking views. It is intriguing, the world that is waiting to be discovered if we chose to go beyond the traffic and the glittering shopping malls. A hike in the numerous mountains leaves you rejuvenated. The body comes back exercised and the mind quietened.
The important need of our body is to move. Either slow or fast but never stagnant. If we don’t use it, we lose it. Any muscle of our body that is not worked, becomes weak and wasted. Just like when a hand comes out of a cast, it takes a while to regain its original strength. Imagine what inactivity would do to our agility.
It is an investment in our future. To work our bodies now, so that we can reap the benefits later.
We owe it to our children, to stay fit so that later they don’t have to leave their lives time and again to tend to sick parents. We need to set an example for them now, so that they naturally, learn the healthy lifestyle, by seeing their parents live it.
We owe it to our family, to be healthy, as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Let us not be the weakest link.
Most of all, we owe it to ourselves, to stay fit, to lead a healthy and vibrant life. We have to push our physical limits a little bit, to put on our walking shoes, and to take ‘the first step’.
©Suveera Sharma
Photos sourced by the author from the Internet
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