Citizens pump it up at Nashik heart fest

NASHIK: Citizens of all ages performed Zumba on Sunday morning at KTHM College ground with noted Marathi actress Varsha Usgaonkar during the Nashik Heart Festival to mark the World Heart Day.
Shri Saibaba Heart Institute and Research Centre in association with Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj, HAL high school and junior college alumni association and other organizations had organized the festival. The aim was to spread the message of lifestyle management.The World Heart Day is on Monday.
Usgaonkar appreciated the heart institute's efforts to make the citizens perform Zumba, which is a high intensity fitness exercise done on songs.
The festival began with a bhajan programme at 5.45am after which caps were distributed to people. At 6am, yogacharya Gokul Ghuge demonstrated some asanas and suryanamaskar. He told people about the benefits of asanas.
Citizens then enjoyed performing Zumba with Usgaonkar on Hindi and Marathi songs.
The organizers said due to changing lifestyle, people do not find enough time to take care of themselves. Everyone would enjoy exercising on various songs in whatever time they get. This comparatively new form of exercise properly stretches all the muscles, they said.
Heart surgeon Aniruddha Dharmadhikari told the audience about heart diseases. He talked about proper diet, exercise and thoughts to overcome it. "Everyone should exercise for a healthy body. We should follow a regime. We should eat on time and undergo medical-check once in a year," Dharmadhikari said.
On the occasion, free blood sugar check-up was organized for senior citizens.
From September 20, week-long programmes were organized as part of the festival. On the first day, a 5-km cycle rally was held at HAL Ozar Township. A series of cycling activities to create awareness among the people were conducted through the week in various parts of the city.
During the week, rangoli competition on clean and healthy Nashik, slogan competition and sports activities were organized for the senior citizens. Prizes were distributed to the winners of various competitions. Pallavi Dharmadhikari, general secretary of Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj; Nilima Pawar, athletics coach; Vijendra Singh, sprinters Kavita Raut, Monica Atreya and Sanjivini Jadhav; sports trainer Hemant Patil and others were present on the occasion.
This is the fourth year when the heart Institute is organizing the festival.