In modern Turkmenistan, multifunctional sports facilities have long been a visiting card of the capital and other cities. They have created an opportunity for sports activities for the youngest and elderly citizens. Our today’s conversation will be about a person, who is wise over the years and experienced, who has never left sports behind the board of being, but on the contrary has always adhered to a healthy lifestyle. Our hero’s name is Seitmurat Seitgulyev.

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I have known Shirmurad for almost 20 years. Since I am a sports journalist, sports involuntarily come to the fore during our meetings and conversations, and most often we talk about the health benefits of sports. During our conversations, I heard several times about Shirmurad’s grandfather – Seitmurat aga, a man whose companion throughout his life has been sport.

Many times I have heard extraordinary stories about Seitmurat aga. Therefore, following the proverb “It´s better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times”, I decided to meet this amazing person. Seitmurat aga, who is over 90 years old, loves mountains very much, so my path lay to the mountain ranges.

…The path that we walked stretched a couple of kilometres. I had to run on some sections to keep up with the nimble old man. I play sports regularly, but I began to feel my legs give way from fatigue. As I remember now, it was the first day of summer. It is not very easy to move quickly in the scorching heat. We decided to walk to the foothill waterfall and set on a journey at dawn. I thought that our trip would be a morning promenade along mountain paths, but the distance turned out to be quite long.

The grandson of Seitmurat aga silently drove in a car behind us. The nimble old man did not pay attention at all to convenient and, most importantly, not energy-intensive vehicle. Finally, he relented and took pity on me, and we travelled the rest of the way by car. Unlike me, Seitmurat aga felt great. His grandson and my friend Shirmurad, turning to sweating me, mocked, “Well, how could you catch up with my grandfather?” I silently shook my head.

When the sun was at its zenith, we reached the destination. Crystal clear mountain air produced a miraculous effect, our fatigue melted away by itself. At that time, the meaning of the words of Seitmurat aga that if you walk in the mountains, you get younger began to reach me.

Sitting in the shade under a picturesque ledge, I took a sip of tea from healing herbs brewed according to the recipe of the elderly athlete. Tea had an even greater effect; the tired body began to fill up with strength again. I asked the senior companion to tell me about the secret of the tea. Seitmurat aga answered that he draws secrets from the book of our Hero Arkadag “Medicinal Plants of Turkmenistan”.

- I spend almost all the time in the mountains and have found healing herbs many times. The book describes in details the location of the plants and their benefits. Therefore, I will never part with this book, and, based on my personal experience, I advise you to always refer to it. Along with our Motherland, I have visited other countries, from the expanses of the tundra to the dense forests of Europe. Forests in cold countries are particularly beneficial. The plants in our hot country have useful properties. First of all, you need to adapt to the conditions in which you find yourself. It is important to lead the right lifestyle to feel good in the climatic zones of Koytendag or Kopetdag. For example, how did the tea that I treated you act on you? It made you vigorous. You need to remember that each region has its own useful plants, you just need to use them properly.

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After returning home, the first thing I decided to do was to sleep. Two days of unsuccessful pursuit of dexterous Seitmurat aga exhausted me thoroughly. As I fell into a sweet and deep sleep, the phone rang. Half asleep, I answered. The voice of Seitmurat aga immediately brought me to my senses. My adult mentor wanted to know how I was feeling. The voice of a man who was not far from being a hundred years old sounded clear and cheerful. At that moment, I caught myself thinking that the healing power of the mountains had invested inexhaustible strength in this person who is found of a healthy lifestyle.