Bengaluru, 6 June

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday stressed that physical and mental activity is essential as inactive people are more prone to get sick and instructed officials to organise more health check-up camps on a regular basis across the State.

He said that he also practises pranayama and does physical exercises regularly.

Speaking after inaugurating a free health check-up and treatment camp organised for officers and staff of the secretariat at Vidhana Soudha, he said, "People who sit without physical activity are more prone to get sick. So physical and mental activity is necessary."

Noting that lifestyles and food habits are adversely affecting human health, Chief Minister said the State government is constantly designing and implementing programmes to ensure all sections of people have access to necessary healthcare and treatment.

Chief Minister said that the hard-working lifestyle of our ancestors had kept them healthy and strong.

He instructed officials that such health check-up camps should be organised on a regular basis and it should be conducted all over the State.

Siddaramaiah gave a call to start caring for good health from an early age to avoid the health problems that come with old age and shared that he quit smoking.

"Addictions can happen with peer pressure also. But we must always be vigilant and protect ourselves. I used to smoke cigarettes earlier. Once friends bought a pack of foreign cigarettes. I smoked more (cigarettes) in a short period of time. I was convinced to quit smoking one day and the same day, I stopped smoking completely," he added. PTI