बगुला भगत
This book is based on knowledge and practical experiences of a fighter pilot who is an adventurer and a philosopher and learning everything from music, poetry, writing and polity. Life’s experiences are limited by one’s own self-image and limitations. If life is a journey, then human body is its vehicle. Just like the vehicle need to be maintained, the traveller too need rest, recreate and learn. For both the vehicle (this body) and its traveller (soul), we need ‘the unbreakable fitness’.
When most people hear the word "fitness," an image springs to mind: a bodybuilder with bulging veins, a marathon runner with zero body fat, or an influencer posing in perfect lighting. We are conditioned to believe that fitness is more about a look to be achieved. Contemporary health paradigms often fragment human well-being into isolated silos: physicians treat the body, therapists treat the mind, and sociologists study relationships. However, the concept of "The Unbreakable Fitness" posits that these domains are inextricably linked.
Unbreakable Fitness is the physical and mental infrastructure required to live a long, rich, and adventurous life. It is a state of being where your body does not limit your life but rather expands it. It is the ability to say "yes" to a hike with your grandchildren, "yes" to a stressful project at work without crumbling, and "yes" to learning a new skill at age fifty.
This is not about becoming superhuman. It is not about running a 4-minute mile or lifting a car. It is also not extreme state of denial of simple pleasures or spending four hours a day in a gym. In any case, it is not about having a "superior" attitude toward others. Instead, Unbreakable Fitness is about Functional Reserve. It is possessing enough strength, endurance, and resilience that when life throws a challenge at you whether it’s lifting a heavy suitcase or enduring a sudden emotional crisis—you have the "fuel in the tank" to handle it without breaking.
To achieve this state, we must look at the human being as a whole system, not just a collection of bones and muscles.
The Physical Engine (The Vehicle) Physical capability is the foundation. one needs strength to fulfil the tasks, endurance to sustain energy throughout the day and speed and agility to react to situations. A routine life is a comfort zone which keeps shrinking. The body keeps becoming used to the comforts and adapts to the comfortable environment more quickly. One needs to protect one’s body and maintain it to go through the varied experiences. Most importantly, one needs the freedom from illness to stay out of the hospitals. We need to increase the health span—the period of life spent in good health, free from chronic diseases and disabilities. Research indicates that grip strength (a proxy for overall muscle strength) is a stronger predictor of all-cause mortality than cardiovascular fitness alone. Sarcopenia (muscle loss) is a primary driver of frailty; thus, maintaining strength is a survival mechanism. Higher VO2 max levels are inversely associated with high healthcare costs and chronic illness. The "unbreakable" individual requires sufficient aerobic capacity to handle daily metabolic demands without fatigue.
The Adaptive Mind (The Attitude) An unbreakable body is useless without an adaptive mind. This concept requires a "learning attitude." Like body’s comfort zone, mind also has comfort zone. Neurobiologically, this is supported by the concept of neuroplasticity. Its comforts zones are dreams that we chose, plans that we have made and it gets used to them, resisting to the change that is needed to stay in sync with the reality. When we stay strictly within our comfort zones, living in same environment, seeing the same people, thinking the same thoughts, our capabilities atrophy. Unbreakable Fitness means pushing the boundary. It is the confidence to walk into a room of strangers, the resilience to fail at something new and try again, and the mental freshness that comes from new experiences. EngAgeing in new, challenging activities (breaking routine) stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes the growth of new neurons. Psychological resilience is the capacity to bounce back from adversity. Dweck’s research on "Growth Mindset" suggests that individuals who view challenges as opportunities to learn (rather than threats to their ego) demonstrate lower cortisol responses to stress.
The Large Heart (Social Goodness) Fitness is often viewed as a selfish pursuit, but Unbreakable Fitness is about sharing our strength and capabilities. It involves "general goodness" and a large-hearted attitude. Science confirms that social behaviour is a physiological regulator. Isolation slowly kills us silently from within. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on human happiness, concluded that the quality of one’s relationships is the single best predictor of physical health at age 80, surpassing cholesterol levels. Being "unbreakable" means having the emotional stability to support others, maintain balanced relationships, and contribute to our community.
The Roseto Effect and Blue Zones: Epidemiological studies, such as those regarding the "Blue Zones" (regions with the highest concentration of centenarians), identify strong social networks as a primary non-genetic determinant of longevity.
‘The Unbreakable Fitness’ is the ultimate freedom. It is the freedom from frailty, the freedom from mental stagnation, and the freedom to pursue our life’s objectives. It validates a bio-psycho-social model of health. It suggests that a "normal layman" achieves optimal existence not through extreme specialisation, but through a balanced pursuit of physical strength, cognitive novelty (learning), and social contribution. The synergy of these elements creates an individual capable of adapting to life’s inevitable stressors—the very definition of being unbreakable.
