How I Keep Myself Healthy & Fit: Your Day Starts the Night Before
In order to provide compassionate and resilient care to their patients, doctors must prioritise their own physical and emotional well-being. In this weekly column, Swati Sharma talks to specialists in the field to find out how they maintain their own health and fitness. This week it’s Dr V. Mohan, Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre
Dr V. Mohan always tells his patients, friends, and colleagues that our daily fitness program starts the previous night. “My statement surprises people, who ask, Why?,” he says adding, “Everything depends on when you get into bed the previous night. If you get into bed early, you have already taken the first step towards fitness, because then your next day can start early and you will have time for your morning exercise programme.”
He normally gets into bed by 10:30pm, and rarely does he cross the 11:00pm barrier. “My first goal in fitness is to get 7 hours of sleep. I get up at 5:30am, and before 6:00am I have already started my walk, which I try to do for one hour, six days a week.”
10,000 STEPS A DAY
The Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre tries to get around 5000-6000 steps during his morning walk because, failing that he says, “It’s difficult to get anywhere near the 10,000 steps a day target that I have set for myself. After I finish my morning walk, I take a short break for my morning prayers, and after having a cup of tea, I do my yoga and stretching exercises for about 20 minutes, followed by pranayama for 10 minutes and meditation for 5 minutes. Throughout the day, I am conscious of the fact that every additional step I take is important. I use an Apple Watch, which not only keeps track of my steps taken, but also tells me how many calories I have burned and several other health parameters, including my heart rate.” During his travels, wherever possible at airports, he uses the steps and the escalator only if I am carrying a heavy bag. “Even in my hospital, I rarely use the lift and almost always use the staircase, even if I have to walk up 4 or 5 floors. When I am seeing patients in the clinic, every hour or two, I either stand up or walk for a couple of minutes to avoid prolonged sitting.”
THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL
Finally, an internationally acclaimed diabetologist is fairly careful with his diet. “In the morning, I have fruit, a cup of milk with pumpkin seeds, and an egg white omelette to give me some extra protein (as I turned vegetarian 17 years ago). My lunch consists of very little rice, at least 2 vegetables, lentils (pulses and legumes), and curd (yoghurt). At night, I cut down on carbs and eat more vegetables, lentils, and beans. This type of lifestyle has helped me to maintain my body weight and my waist circumference at the same level for over 40 years.”
KEEP STRESS AT BAY
“The pranayama that I do in the morning keeps me stress-free throughout the day, which I believe is the greatest secret to my fitness. While we can all wish for and work towards fitness, ultimately God’s grace is needed for one to be fit and healthy,” he sums up.