For all those who turned up for the Day 2 warm up session at High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, before the Stayfree Women For Change DNA iCAN Women’s Marathon, holistic health guru Mickey Mehta had just one piece of advice — reach for the skies and keep soaring.
Women, who have registered for the marathon, had turned up in huge numbers on Sunday to learn the warm-up techniques for runners. Between the breathing, jumping and stretching exercises, Mehta found time to offer advice, encouragement and praise to the motley group of women and also gave some precautions.
Mehta also spoke about women power and shared his fitness mantra. He said it was important to remember that the half marathon was about running towards a goal instead of away from it. “I believe in a holistic approach where one cannot achieve fitness without achieving health and wellness in the process,” he said.
To build the spirit of the marathon, Mehta demonstrated some easy and light exercises, including stretching and slow jogging. “It is very important to have a good eight-hour sleep before the marathon. One should eat fibre-rich food. A healthy diet is crucial for fuel and nutrients to optimise performance. Incorporate whole grains, sprouts, vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, beans, soy and tofu and cut back on the high glycemic foods like desserts, soft drinks, alcohol, maida, fried snacks and caffeine. Eat a good, nutritious meal the night before the run. Have a banana or a protein bar before the run,” said Mehta.
Soumya Pote, 33, a dance teacher and resident of Goregaon who will run the 21km marathon, said, “We took back a lot of things from the warn-up session. Right from the diet plan to what precautions we need to take before the run, everything was beautifully explained by Mickey Mehta.”
