02-06-2025
NO MORE PANTING, ONLY PEDALLING
Rajkot: Before the Covid-19 pandemic, even climbing a few steps left them breathless — regular exercise was out of the question. But three years on, these same people are now pedalling across hundreds of kilometres, taking on cycling expeditions with stamina and enthusiasm like never before.
Punita Virani, 51, a lecturer at Bhavsinhji Polytechnic Institute, pedals nearly 20 km daily as part of her regular routine. On Sundays, she ups the ante, covering 50 km to 70 km on cycling expeditions. Recently, she cycled nearly 100 km in a single day to the scenic union territory of Diu.
Virani's fitness journey began during the Covid-19 pandemic. "I never got myself tested for Covid, but feared I caught the virus from my family members.
Doctors noticed I was breathless even after climbing a few stairs and recommended I begin some physical activity," she recalled.
Initially, she turned to yoga, but persistent knee pain made it difficult to continue. "That's when I started cycling. Not only did it ease my knee pain, but it soon became my passion," said Virani. Virani rides to and from college and actively encourages colleagues and friends to take up cycling for better health.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Much like Virani, 41-year-old Kalpeshsinh Zala also struggled with extreme fatigue after recovering from Covid-19. Even minimal physical activity left him exhausted. Doctors informed Zala, a campus officer at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, that the virus impacted his stamina and advised him to begin regular exercise. He took up sports and soon began cycling as part of his routine. "I started with just 10–15 km a day.
Gradually, my lung capacity improved, the fatigue reduced, and before I knew it, I was cycling 30 km daily," said Zala.
With renewed strength and growing confidence, Zala began undertaking long-distance expeditions — from Bhavnagar to Diu and Lathi in Amreli, and even a 350-km ride from Diu to Okha. He is now aiming to cycle across Gujarat's entire coastal highway from Bhavnagar to Narayan Sarovar in Kutch, spanning 650 km.
"There was a time when I couldn't climb the staircase at my college. Recently, I completed the 10,000 steps of Mount Girnar in just four-and-a-half hours," he said with pride. To inspire others, Zala also founded a cycling club that now has over 100 active members, many of whom have made cycling a part of their lifestyle.
