THE HEALTH | OCTOBER , 2023

DIFFERENT STROKES

BY ADI SATRIA

RECENTLY heard over the radio that the latest statistics from a national survey in 2019 revealed that 3.6 million adults ( 18 years and above ) had diabetes , and 49 per cent ( 3.7 million ) of them were undiagnosed . Malaysia also has the highest prevalence of diabetes in Southeast Asia . The main contributors to this rise are due to being overweight and obese , even among children , a sedentary lifestyle and a very imbalanced diet ( high in calories and low in fibre ).

My brother Asri is 66 . No , he has not driven on the famous Route 66 in the US but has been running the annual KL Marathon over the last six years and improving his completion time every year .

How does he do it ? What motivates him to run the marathon year in and year out ? He was inspired by our late father , who lived an active sporting life till his early 80 ’ s by keeping fit through brisk walking , tennis and golf .

Asri started running 10km in the Adidas Marathon in 2012 at 55 . He stopped after that but started rerunning 10km in the KL Stanchart Marathon in 2017 , 2018 and 2019 .

After the Covid-19 lockdowns , he ran in the Stanchart Virtual 2021 10km run , where you can run anywhere in your neighbourhood and it ’ s recorded on any running app , and you submit your time and distance to the organiser . He succeeded in making it within the stipulated time , inspiring him to do the actual run in 2022 and again this year .

Throughout the years , he has improved on his finishing time . This improvement was due to a new running technique called ‘ slow-jogging ’ introduced by the late Hiroki Tanaka ( PhD ), a Professor at Fukuoka University , Japan .

PAIN-FREE APPROACH TO RUNNING

This technique , gaining worldwide popularity , is an efficient , healthier and pain-free approach to running for all ages and lifestyles . The technique ’ s key is more like taking a walk or jogging at a walking pace .

It is a gentle and natural forefoot landing and small steps at high cadency . By keeping your back straight and relaxing your shoulders , your arms will also move naturally . Breathe naturally while raising your chin and look ahead of you while being conscious about forefoot landing instead of landing on your heels .

It is like when you are jumping with your forefoot to land . It helps minimise the landing shock during running . Hence , there is no need to run fast but at a constant pace , which also prevents unnecessary tiredness .

The Chang family .

And the most important is to smile . In fact , you can talk to your running mate at this pace , because if you can ’ t , it means you are running too fast .

Asri keeps fit by doing casual runs every morning around the Bukit Antarabangsa neighbourhood , which is ideal in terms of its topography , the cool morning air , and the scenery that overlooks the city of Kuala Lumpur .

He makes it a point to complete at least one hour and 10,000 steps . This is really the secret of enhancing and maintaining his stamina .

Regarding nutrition , his breakfast is just oats , raisins and dates . His daily diet is what most Malaysians enjoy - from nasi kandar to mee rebus - but all in moderation to prevent the chance of becoming overweight .

A FAMILY AFFAIR

At the 15th Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon ( KLSCM ) held on

ADI SATRIA , a veteran of the marketing and communications industry , is not a fan of running but is into cycling to keep fit . He believes that any sport should be enjoyed by anyone at any age and at a comfortable pace and does not stress one ’ s physical being but rather a smile on your face .

Asri

Oct 1 , Asri ran the half marathon of 21 km and completed it in a better time than his 2022 run , which also qualified him to add another medal to his annual collection .

He says that running a marathon is about overcoming mind over matter - if you don ’ t mind , it doesn ’ t matter . This is probably the biggest challenge in any sport or , for that matter in any challenging situation . It builds character , patience , determination and discipline .

Asri feels that anyone can lead a healthy lifestyle at any age by focusing on their health span rather than their lifespan .

For Amy Chang , it has always been a family affair . Her husband , John , son and daughter have been participating in the 10km Fun Run held the day before for many years .

John does the full 42 km marathon . He is a physical health instructor and a regular at marathons worldwide . This is a family that runs , and looking at them obesity or diabetes will not be part of their vocabulary .

The KLSCM attracted 40,000 runners to Dataran Merdeka over the end of September weekend . The event also saw the Kids Dash , 5km and Boost Juice 10 km categories taking place on Sept 30 and the Half and Full Marathon categories on Oct 1 . These side events were good for the family to run together and stay together . – The Health