CHALLENGE YOU MUST, ELSE ACCEPT DEFEAT

A.N. Mukherjee

At the dawn of human civilization our ancestors were highly vulnerable due to devastating weather conditions, wild predators and animosity between different groups of people for maintaining their own territory consequent to which they face incessant challenges for their own existence; it was rather a challenge for their survival.

When more and more challenges they fought and overcame more they became mentally and physically strong, their skill and their ability of understanding things enhanced substantially.

In view of this we can presuppose that challenge is inherent in the development and growth of any system, be it physiological, social or technological.

The present article is being presented to elaborate mainly physiological challenges that we usually face during our lifetime; and how best we can face it effectively in our day to day activity.

When the word ‘Challenge’ appears in our mental landscape, the number of questions arise, which are as follows –

a)         Why to challenge?

b)         Whom to challenge?

c)         How to challenge?

d)         Challenge as to what extent?

As we grow old, all of our physiological system also grows old and undergo gradual degenerative mode; hence this ageing process itself poses increasingly intense challenge to our body and mind to line in best possible mode.

Now let us elaborate what is this Ageing Process?

We are born into this world as a baby and gradually become a boy or a girl, then we grow to a stage of teens, after that period we become young, our youth stage passes on to become middle-aged person and finally we become decrepit old person.

This passage from the stage of baby to the stage of becoming old is inevitable in our entire life cycle.

Nobody can stop this process, neither can this be reversed. Nevertheless one can certainly slow down the process of ageing, otherwise the process gets accelerated or becomes faster as there is no other option left in this process.

·       As we grow old our cardio respiratory organ’s efficiency goes down. All the joints of our body become comparatively stiff. Skeletal muscles lose tone or become asthenic. Agility of the body goes down. Sense of balance also gets significantly reduced. Old age brings gradual cognitive decline as well.

In view of the above it is all the more imperative that the degenerative process can be decelerated by all out effective efforts.

For example, our cardio respiratory organ starts working efficiently when we can increase the demand of oxygen in our body by some moderate aerobic exercises. By the aerobic exercises we create a condition by which we shall be forced to do deep and rapid breathing simultaneously and our heart starts pumping faster; as a result cardiac output of oxygenated blood will be substantially increased so as to be able to cater to the increased demand of our body and in this process our lungs and heart muscles get stronger gradually as the said muscles have to work hard against the challenge created by subjecting our body to aerobic activities viz. jogging, fast walking, running, swimming, cycling, skipping etc.

Similarly, our skeletal muscles should also be subjected to the challenges by creating resistance against the movement of the joints in which the strengths of the muscles are being challenged.

Basically all the movements of our body are due to our neuromuscular activity when we create a resistance to the body movements with the help of some external agency viz. dumbbell, bar bell or with the help of our own body weight as we do in sit up, pull up, push up, squatting etc. When these muscles are systematically and regularly challenged its tone and strength can be sustained.

The joints of our body get stiff as we attain age. Here again the joints are to be stretched slightly beyond the present range of movement. The flexible joints are conducive to better blood circulation. The stretching is well performed by free hand exercise and yoga.

The stiff joints restrict free flow of blood to the joints causing avascular necrosis of the joints. Hence flexible body is equally desired for a healthy body.

In view of the above the deceleration of ageing is possible by regular workouts like fast walking, stretching, strength training, relaxation etc. Now to sum up the answers for the questions raised earlier –

By challenging our strength of muscles, cardio respiratory system and joints flexibility of our physiological system to the extent up to our elastic limit beyond our normal comfort zone we can slow down our ageing process considerably; consequently we shall gain the following advantages –

i.                 We can keep diseases at a distance from our body.

ii.               In case of sudden infliction or a bout of illness, the intensity of the infliction is bound to be much less than those who do not do anything to slow down the ageing process.

iii.              One will have a much quicker recovery rate from illness.

iv.              Minimum medical support is required for the recovery.

v.                Will have a better capacity to handle the stressful situations as the increased cerebral strength concomitant to the slow ageing process.

vi.              Last but not the least the person’s productive participation for the society is maximum during their youth period, as such by slowing down the ageing process. This youth period will obviously be extended resulting to the persons remaining at a higher productive level for a larger period of time of his or her life.

The life is the consequence of our decision and choice and most of the time it is our likes and dislikes that dictate our decision making process.

As we unconsciously become the slave of our likes and dislikes, in view of this we must put up a strong challenge to be its master and not its slave. If our conscience or common sense suggests us to take some action then we must not allow our likes or dislikes to desist us from doing that action and only then we can achieve to invigorate a disciplined lifestyle and our food habits which are essentially required for our healthy living.

Let the death come all of a sudden than to die a protracted slow death.

"One should die young at an old age."

 

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