Premium

Discipline, diet and purpose: How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing

A day for Mutalik starts at 4:30 am. It begins with yoga, followed by reading non-fiction, a simple oatmeal-and-spices breakfast and two basic meals (lunch and a 6:30 p.m. dinner).

3 min readUpdated: Nov 15, 2025 10:35 AM IST

For Mutalik it is equally important to have a clear sense of purpose in life.

At 97, professor Gururaj Mutalik, the first professor and head, Department of Medicine at Pune’s B J Government Medical College, credits his longevity to maintaining a disciplined lifestyle, good diet, managing stress effectively and ensuring he gets regular exercise. For Mutalik it is equally important to have a clear sense of purpose in life.

“I may have inherited my parents’ genes (My father lived till the age of 96 and my mother till 91) but there are several factors that can hasten premature ageing. Among them stress is one of the greatest contributors and hence it is necessary to develop a sense of purpose in life,” he said while speaking with The Indian Express. In Pune for the launch of his book Visions of Yoga on November 15 at Savitribai Phule Pune University, Mutalik will also hold forth on secrets of health, happiness and longevity.

A day for Mutalik starts at 4:30 am. It begins with yoga, followed by reading non-fiction, a simple oatmeal-and-spices breakfast and two basic meals (lunch and a 6:30 p.m. dinner). It also includes a daily 2.2-km walk and muscle-strengthening exercises, all of which contribute to lab results showing his biological age to be 70. The professor, however, admits that it has not always been a smooth journey and recalled at the age of 90, he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

“This was caused by 90 percent blockage in my coronary arteries. Doctors thought I would not survive—but I did,” he says. But even a small lapse can prove detrimental. “Perhaps it was a bit of arrogance,” he reflects. “I thought I was doing well at 90 and would indulge now and then in some sweets. My weight shot up to 184 lb and HbA1c count (that measures the blood sugar level over the past 2-3 months) rose to 7.8,” Mutalik recalls. However with a dedicated regimen he soon brought his weight and HbA1c down.

So much so that Mutalik is among the group of researchers who want to classify ageing as a disease and have advocated it in different petitions to the World Health Organisation. “The aim is to encourage research funding and drug development towards improving the health and well being of the elderly,” Mutalik said. The WHO, meanwhile, has stated that it does not classify “old age” as a disease and promotes the approach of “healthy ageing”.

The professor emphasises that old age is worth living only when supported by good health and his book explores how mindfulness, meditation, self-discipline and healthy ageing are interwoven, presenting yoga as a universal path to balance, resilience, and peace. As Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, National Research Professor at the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India writes in the foreword “To fully understand the professor’s vision, one must look deeply into his roots. Born into a humble village family, he was shaped by the wisdom of his father, a Sanskrit scholar, from whom he absorbed not only the language of Ayurveda and yoga but also the rhythm of a life lived in harmony with nature, purpose, and self-discipline.”

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
pune

Loading Taboola...