Develop your muscular body with HRD-GATI (Yogic Jogging) – Engine Daud

Hrd Gati has also been named the Engine Daud or Locomotive Exercise because the movement resembles that of a locomotive.The beauty of this exercise is that without running on roads, you can do jogging of multiple kilometres on a single spot, i.e. that too at the convenience of your home. You will definitely forget every other running at your Gym, after learning this exercise. It is powerful exercise equal to turbocharger.

Starting Posture of Hrd-Gati (Engine Daud)

Stand straight with the feet together with your hands converted into fists with the thumbs inside.

Exercise/ Technique of Hrd-Gati (Engine Daud)

1. Bend your right arm at an angle of 90 degree. Similarly, bend your right knee at an angle of 90 degrees. Keep your other arm raised straight horizontally parallel to the floor and the left leg straight.
   

   

2. Alternate the positions of both the arms and legs by pushing the right arm forward and straightening your left leg and simultaneously, bending your left arm and left leg at an angle of 90 degrees. Also synchronize this with inhalation and exhalation.

Video Demo of Hrd-Gati (Engine Daud)

Technique: Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari, author of Sukshama Vyayama, suggests to run small steps ahead of you on your toes while pushing your arms, forward and backward alternately in a piston movement. The feet, while running, must be thrown back from the knee so as to hit the buttocks. When the right leg is moving forward, the right arm must be thrust out and vice versa. Breathing in and out sharply and deeply through the nose will produce the hissing sound of an engine.

The elbows in the rear  action of the arms, should not go further back than the body.

Before doing any exercise, you must know the common sense basics of when to inhale and when to exhale. You can learn more about the basics of asanas and pranayama.

In the beginning, you should do only not more than 1 minute. Even 1 minute continuously hrd gati will appear difficult and can cause suffocation and intense fatigue. So, I would suggest you to start with 15 seconds to 30 seconds and week by week, increase the duration by 15-30 seconds according to your strength. You should do the exercise within your capacity. Some even gasp after doing it for 30 seconds. So, be careful while doing this exercise.

Follow up this exercise with complete relaxation and deep breathing to avoid muscular fatigue. I generally prefer to do mukh-dhauti  with complete exhalation from the mouth and passive inhalation by nostrils in the standing posture while slightly bending forward. In this way, carbon dioxide accummulated in the blood while doing hrd-gati is exhaled by the mouth and fresh oxygen is taken in the blood. Thus, the fatigue on account of accummulation of carbon dioxide is reduced by mukha-dhouti.

RELATED: Achieve Accurate Gait & Concentration with REKHA GATI (line walking)

Precaution of Hrd Gati

Though Hrd Gati (Locomotive Exercise or Engine Daud) has extra ordinary benefits of over all muscular development in a very short period of time, as compared to other physical exercises, but we must also be careful of its precaution to avoid any harmful effects of this exercises. One should never attempt this exercise during any of the following condition:

1. High Blood Pressure /Cardiac Problems  – I would also not recommend to do mukha-dhouti for hypertension and cardiac patients.
2. Back pain /lumbar spondylitis / cervical spondyitis (as this sort of running can aggravate the pain in the back area)
3. Hernia
4. Recent Abdominal /Back Surgery.
5. Arthritis
6. Knee surgery
7. Frozen shoulder should consult with the physician before attempting this exercise.
8. Age more than 50 years if the the life has been mostly sedentary.

Extraordinary Benefits of Hrd Gati

This is one of the most wonderful physical exercises, which re-vitalizes the entire body.

1. The chest expands, the muscles of thighs and the calves are developed.
2. Hrd Gati is a miraculous cure for the obese  in a very short time.
3. Thin person can acquire muscular body by doing Hrd Gati.
4. It is particularly helpful to those in the army or in the police force, or those interested in athletics, particularly running.

RELATED: SARVANGAPUSHTI – Whole Body Development

Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari has mentioned in his book that one has to  do this exercise for five minutes to obtain the energy needed to cover 25 miles.  I myself personally experienced that on the spot Hrd Gati for one minute is equivalent to more than one kilometre running.