In Guwahati to promote the fourth edition of Pinkathon, a run to raise awareness surrounding breast cancer, supermodel and actor Milind Soman gets candid with G Plus, talking about the importance of fitness – physical, mental and emotional.
“I’m very excited to bring Pinkathon to Guwahati for the fourth time. I am confident that the city and its people will support us and help us make this run a humongous success,” says Milind, the founder of Pinkathon.
Why focus on running?
Over the past decade, Milind Soman has established himself as India’s running sensation, and rightly so. Known as the ironman of India, Milind ditched the whole idea of gym a long time ago. He follows a non-gym routine, using no machineries at all, and follows a strict diet that includes lots of milk, fruits and vegetables. At 53, Milind has the body to die for! His secret? Running, push-ups and sometimes pull-ups.
“Well, the thing is that gyms employ isolation technique, which means that you’re focusing on one body part at a time. But while running the entire body is charged up and energized. I believe that full body movements and training is better and more sustainable,” said Milind.
Milind’s tip for beginners
If you want to begin your journey towards fitness with running, remember that you should start very slow. You may not have run for many years and your muscles may not be that strong - so start with running for short distances and at slow pace. Slowly, increase the distance and the speed. Make sure that you don't feel any discomfort.
Mental health more important than physical
Milind, who has been getting younger with age, emphasizes on the importance of mental and emotional health along with physical health. “Mental health is much more important than physical health,” he believes. The more regular you are in exercising, the more beneficial it is for your mind and body.
The idea behind Pinkathon
In its seventh year, Pinkathon is currently spread across 100 cities in 10 countries. There are over 1,00,000 women who have participated in the multi-city event, belonging to all age groups and different walks of life.
Milind is of the belief that Indian women need to become aware about the benefits of fitness. They need to be able to get out and run, which doesn’t happen enough due to various cultural reasons. He says, “Run in sarees, salwar kameez, burkhas, mekhela chadors or whatever attire you deem fit, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re running and staying fit!”
Women empowerment at the heart of Pinkathon
Women empowerment is a significant issue, one that many want to contribute towards but only some find a way to.
Speaking about the significance of women empowerment, Milind said, “A healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women. The first step in empowerment is taking control of your own health, respecting yourself and understanding and celebrating the value you bring to your family and society.”
“Usually women ignore their health condition and are more concerned about their families. The objective of Pinkathon is to make women aware about their personal health. We are committed to encourage progress of women and help them move forward in life. Pinkathon is to boost confidence of women and strengthen the belief that women can do wonders,” he added.
Milind’s view on the fitness culture of Guwahati
Like any growing city, Guwahati is very fast paced compared to the rest of the towns of Assam. I think that the people here have lost their connection with health, fitness and natural lifestyle because of the tremendous pressure of growing with the city. I feel that Guwahatians need to find their connection with themselves and their bodies – know what is good for your minds and learn to take care of your mind and body together.
Pinkathon Guwahati 2018
The fourth edition of Pinkathon Guwahati is all set to be flagged off from the Khanapara Veterinary Ground on 30th September. The run, created with the objective of spreading awareness about women’s health related issues (breast cancer in particular), aims to encourage women to adopt health and fitness in their daily lifestyles by means of running. Regarded as India’s biggest women’s run, participation of over 6,000 women can be expected in the multi-category run. The online registration for the same is currently open.
Announcing the details of Pinkathon Guwahati 2018, at Hotel Novotel on Monday, Pinkathon founder and former supermodel, Milind Soman, said that the event has carved a niche of being more than a marathon.
“While we conduct Pinkathon once a year in all the key cities, it is now being seen as the seed of change. It’s a movement that is carried forward by a growing community of empowered women across India through the year. These women share a belief that a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world begins with empowered women,” Soman said.
The event was also attended by 103-year-old Indian runner Mann Kaur, visually impaired Dolly Rajbongshi, cancer survivor Jasmine Kibriya, Dr Roselin Bora from Apollo Hospitals and founder of UTSAH NGO, Miguel Das Queah, among other eminent personalities.