Parsi New Year is marked with dagli and gara-ni-saree ma greetings, lighting the divo and the aroma of sukhar- loban in the air! It’s the time to press the restart button – not just spiritually, but in our minds, hearts, and yes, even our joints!

Us tradition-loving Parsis will keep a pocket-watch from 1952, and update to the latest iPhone in the same pocket. We’ll stand for the national anthem at the start of a movie, and sit all day after that. We’ll lovingly offer prayers at our fire temples… and completely forget to tend to the fire in our own ruwaan! This year, I propose a different kind of navu-varas – one that honours our legacy, respects our age (and our knees), and lets us enjoy every lagan, navjote and jashan, without clutching our lower backs and reaching out for pain-killers!

As your friendly neighbourhood Physio, and someone who’s watched both knees and navjotes give out over the years, I present ‘Tandarosti na 10 Vachan’ or 10 Simple Movements to add life to your years! These aren’t gym stunts or YouTube workouts that require mats, mirrors or protein shakes. These are easy, pain-free exercises for every Bawaji and Mamaiji, whether you’re 35 or 85:

The Morning Mobility Ritual

Start your day like you’d start your dhandar – smooth, warm and satiating. This 5-minute movement ritual includes: Neck rolls (slowly, not like you’re hunting for sariya); Shoulder shrugs and circles; Wrist rotations; Gentle hip swings and Ankle pumps. It wakes up your joints better than your first cup of chai and sets the tone for a day of healthy choices… or at least, fewer aches while choosing your nava-varas no natak.

The Chair Sit-to-Stand – Parsi Fitness Litmus Test

We Parsis love our chairs – easy chairs, swivel chairs, office chairs, throne-like dining chairs. But the ability to get up from one without grunting is a measure of your muscle power. Practice: Sit down on a stable chair (no armrests) and cross arms over chest. Now, stand up and sit down 10 times. No hands. No cheating. If you do this daily, you’ll be able to dance to ‘Dekha na, Hai Re Socha na’ at any party well into your 80s!

The Great Wall Push-Up – No Sweating, Just Strength!

Let’s face it – traditional push-ups feel like punishment unless you’re Rustom (Colony-no-Pehelwan) or a gym-rat. Wall push-ups are the elegant Parsi compromise – minimal effort, maximum grace. Stand an arm’s length from the wall. Place palms on it. Lower yourself in and push back. 10 reps = toned arms + stronger chest!

Glute Bridges – Power To Your Pichhodi!

Your butt is meant for more than sitting at colony meetings. It stabilizes your spine and protects your knees. Weak glutes = back pain, knee pain, and reduced ability to get up. Lie on your back. Bend knees. Feet flat. Lift hips upward. Hold 5 seconds. Lower. Repeat 10 times. (Bonus: Your backside might finally meet a Parsi definition of firmness!)

Marching In Place – For That Parade You Never Got Invited To!

You don’t need a treadmill. You just need two legs and the will to move. March in place for 2 minutes. Lift those knees, swing those arms. It gets your heart pumping, without needing to wear track pants or deal with monsoon puddles. Up for a challenge? Do it at a faster pace using a stepper or a small footrest. Great after lunch, before chai, or while waiting for the curry to boil.

The Footsie Fix – Love Thy Sole!

We spend years caring for our head, heart, even our navjote frame. But our feet? Constantly squashed in formal shoes or neglected under the table. Wake them up: Do toe curls (scrunch a towel with your toes); Try Heel Raises (rise up on toes, lower slowly); Toe Spreads (pretend your toes are saying “cheers!” to each other). Do it barefoot. Your knees and hips will say thank you!

Seated Cat-Cow – Spine Ni Safai!

Even Parsis with perfect English posture tend to hunch over phones like prehistoric dinosaurs. Reclaim your spinal dignity! Sit on a chair – Arch back and look up (Cow). Follow it up with a Round spine and tuck chin (Cat). Repeat 10 times. Your spine is the central column of your body, yet the most ignored. Show it some sudreh-grade respect. If you think you are strong, do this on all fours on the floor, in a dog position.

Deep Breathing – Dasturji-Approved Calm!

Inhale for 4 counts. Hold for 4. Exhale for 6. Sit still and do this for 3 minutes. It reduces blood pressure, anxiety, palpitations before those ‘dhak dhak’ moments when your phone rings with wife alongside you. Deep breathing is like a fire temple inside you. Tend to it daily.

The Hydration & Habits Hack – Stack It Like Your Falooda Layers!

Drink water every hour. Pair it with a micro-movement: Sip + stretch; Bathroom trip + calf raises; Brushing teeth + posture check. This way, you’ll build movement into daily rituals without needing reminders from your watch, spouse or the family WhatsApp group.

The Parsified Walking Plan

Aim for 10k to 15k steps a day. Not in one go. Spread it like Lagan nu Custard, throughout the day. Walk during phone calls. Pace between rooms. Climb the Baug stairs (slowly). If you live in a colony, do a ‘chakkar’ after dinner. And gossip is allowed – nay, encouraged! It boosts serotonin.

WHAT NOT TO DO:

Don’t ignore body pain till it screams like an aunty whose dhansak is burnt

Don’t compare yourself to gym influencers. They don’t neither your wisdom nor your bapaiji’s recipes.

Don’t do exercises that your gut (or knees) protest.

Don’t rush it – start slow, start small. But start. Movement is prayer.

Let This Be The Year You Serve Your Body Like You Are Served Dhansak! Parsi New Year is not just about praying for peace. It’s about embodying it – in our knees, in our spines, in our minds. May you wake each day with energy, move each day with intention, and laugh each day with abandon! Let’s not just say ‘Tandarosti’, let’s live it! And if your shoulder clicks, spine screams or your knee groans, you know where to find me!

Tandarosti Bharelu Sal Mubarak!