Cycle to fitness

Advertising professional Firoza (known as Fizzy in the cyclist community) cycles to work everyday. She has been cycling for the past 18 years. “I personally own a car. But in the peak hours of traffic, cycling is quicker than driving a car,” she says. She’s happy to be part of the Car Free Day initiative being organised in the city.

“Mumbai is a busy city. People don’t get time for gymming/yoga or any other fitness activities. I think an initiative like this will help create awareness about the fitness aspect as well. Cycling itself is a very good exercise, it keeps the entire body fit and helps increase stamina. In fact, people have forgotten the joy of cycling,” she asserts.

Incessant traffic jams and rising pollution levels has prompted Greenmile Foundation, a Mumbai based charitable public trust, to launch the first edition of Car Free Day, India Chapter in Mumbai on November 27. The event will see support from the Mumbai Traffic Police. Kalpesh Parekh, founder of the trust and organiser of the initiative, says, “From a fitness point of view, road cycling is a natural by-product of the Car Free Day initiative and an excellent form of exercise. The downside though is we don’t have dedicated track or parks for cycling like our western counter parts. There is grave need for this to be initiated in Mumbai.”

So is carpooling an healthier option? “Carpooling requires lot of awareness and education among masses. In a city like Mumbai, carpooling is a necessity,” says Fizzy. Kalpesh points out the flipside to it,  “There are some constraints like safety, timing and lack of organised service providers. Our work ethics are not similar to the rest of the world where office shuts at 6 pm. But a little organisation and out-of-the-box thinking… and we can overcome this hurdle.”

While the youth feels cycling and carpooling are great ideas, but a lot of them are not sure if it’s really feasible. As Ranjan Banerjee, a city corporate professional, puts it, “What about people who travel from Bandra to Navi Mumbai everyday? They can’t cycle to work.” But he does agree that lifestyle diseases would go down by half if people would take that extra step to be a little more fitness conscious.

He adds, “Cycle in the mornings and avoid driving a car when you’re hanging out with your friends in your neighbourhood. It means less pollution and more fitness.”