india

Updated: Jun 25, 2020 22:21 IST

Sending out a message of need for fitness, ahead of a World Health Organization (WHO) meet, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday cycled to south Delhi’s Hyatt Hotel from his residence at Tees January Marg in the central part of the city, around 6 kms away.

The hotel is the venue for the 72nd session of WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) health ministers’ meet. Dr Vardhan, along with the health ministers of other countries, also took part in a yoga session.

Watch | Harsh Vardhan cycles to attend WHO event, participates in yoga session

Speaking at the event, Vardhan said: “The 72nd WHO-SEARO session has been organised with a lot of other activities. It coincides with the ambitious movement launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about remaining fit and doing physical activities like yoga, sports, cycling, etc,” reports ANI.

“We started the day by cycling from my residence and now we are doing yoga. This will be followed by another cycling session. This is not a symbolic activity, we have to imbibe these practices in our own lives and promote it among others,” he said.

Vardhan is a strong advocate of fitness and cycled 2km from his home to work in the summer heat to take charge of the Union health and family welfare ministry at Nirman Bhawan on June 3. He is known to hop on his bike to cycle for 10km on Delhi roads at least two to three times a week.

“I do a combination of activities for at least 60 minutes every day. Depending on when I’m free for about an hour, I either cycle from home (Tees January Marg) to a little beyond Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Lajpat Nagar, walk at Lodhi Gardens or my own lawn, do yoga and stretching exercises at home or when I’m travelling, or hit the gym for treadmill, cycling and some weights,” he had said.