November 30: People having their regular morning walk at Shivaji Park had 200-odd new associates today. The only difference: the new walkers were suffering from severe breathing problems.The walking competition for asthmatics organised by Asthma and Bronchitis Association of India and supported by Samarth Vyayam Mandir got an overwhelming response. At 7 am, Dr Pramod Niphadkar, the association's honorary secretary, discovered a serpentine queue of enthusiastic asthmatics at the Park. The youngest among them was 11 years old, and the oldest, 78. ``That exercise is harmful for asthmatics is an age-old myth,'' Dr Niphadkar had stated. The performance of the participants only strengthened his conviction.After the participants had completed four rounds around Shivaji Park (4.8 kms) in the prescribed time of 50 minutes, Dr Niphadkar told Express Newsline: ``About 64 per cent of asthmatics believe they cannot exercise and if they do, they will be in trouble. There are an estimated ten lakh asthmatics in Mumbai who depend wholly on medicines. But Yoga and walking is beneficial for them. We want to prove that exercise doesn't harm asthmatics and want to increase their confidence,'' he said. He said former England pace bowler Ian Botham, Olympic gold medalist Van Dyken, Kathak dancer Gopi Krishna and Amitabh Bachchan too suffer from asthma. ``But by regular exercise, they keep asthma under control,'' he said.D Santamaria, a 49-year-old banker from Seven Bungalows, who won today's competition, said, ``It's only exercise that has helped me survive Asthma for the last 13 years. Even last night, I could not sleep due to breathing trouble. But I was all set for the walk, and I made it.'' Vasant Kuray (78), an artist who has had Asthma for more than 20 years, said after completing the walk that the morning stroll would now be a regular feature for him. Later, students of Samarth Vyayam Mandir demonstrated their skills in Yoga, Mallakhamb, a traditional Maharashtrian form of gymnastics in which a wooden pole is used. Former Maharashtra minister for public welfare Dadasaheb Rupwate distributed prizes to the winners.
