‘Stroll-a-Thon’ held in Mysuru for senior citizens to promote healthy living

A community walking event focussed on promoting healthy living among senior citizens was held in the city on Saturday, with scores of participants coming together to take part.

Conducted by Vayah Vikas, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering senior citizens, the event was called ‘Senior Stroll-a-Thon 2025’.

The walk, held at the Oval Grounds opposite the University of Mysuru, was a call for active living and promoting healthy lifestyle among the elderly, besides encouraging physical activity and social interaction.

The participants were led through a warm-up session before the event kicked off around 7.30 a.m. The organisers explained the route to be taken to the participants, which entailed a walk from the Oval Grounds to the court complex, followed by a U-turn to the starting point, where they were encouraged to walk a single lap along the track before completing the event.

The participants were urged to go slow and enjoy the activity beside their fellow walkers. “Enjoy your walk and the steps; walking is healthy, take care of your health,” encouraged the organisers.

At the event, N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mysuru, spoke about the significance of such initiatives for senior citizens. “It is heartening to see senior citizens participating in this event. This organisation is encouraging seniors to take part in early morning walks, which become even more enjoyable when done in company. This movement should grow, and senior citizens should adopt walking as a regular activity for better health,” Mr. Lokanath said.

Such an initiative is reckoned to be encouraging, given the sedentary lifestyles of both the senior and younger citizens of the country.

Experts have pointed out that lack of adequate exercise and physical activity, coupled with stress, sleep deprivation, long hours of work, and unhealthy diet has contributed to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, and hypertension, all of which are on the rise in India.