On the occasion of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chan's birth anniversary, PM Narendra Modi launched the Fit India Movement on August 29. The idea is to teach a culture of fitness and wellness among the countrymen. The event was launched at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi. The Prime Minister spoke how there's an indifference towards fitness, which was an integral part of India's culture. "A few decades ago, a person would walk for eight to ten kilometres in a day. Or cycle or run," he said. But the scenario is different today. He said India could become an ideal nation only when its youth is healthy and fit. PM Modi is known to be a fitness enthusiast himself. It's no surprise that he conceptualised a movement like Fit India. If, like the PM, you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, here are some of his fitness mantras that you can follow.

1. Yoga Is Health Assurance at Zero Budget

PM Modi once said: "There is no health insurance with zero budget, but yoga gives health assurance on zero budget. For developing countries like India, a lot can be saved if we focus on preventive health care," he said. Calling yoga a preventive care method that is cheap and available to all, Modi asks Indians to make it a part of their daily lives. Practising yoga daily can reduce the damage done by lifestyle diseases like hypertension and diabetes. By keeping you healthy overall, yoga can also reduce the burden of medical expenditure.  10 Health Benefits of Yoga That Are Too Good To Be True.

2. Eat Simple Foods Like Khichdi

While addressing a question on diet, PM Modi said being in the public eye and living an irregular lifestyle he has never had a healthy stomach. He's never been a foodie and has been content with any vegetarian food that he gets. PM Modi expressed his fondness for a simple meal like khichdi, which is a mixture of lentils, rice and mild spices. Khichdi is easily digestible, gluten-free and very nourishing with proteins, fibre and healthy fats. Since a good digestive system is the cornerstone of wellness, eating a simple diet can improve your health drastically.

3. A Vegetarian Diet

Although the jury is still out on this one, a vegetarian diet may have many advantages over the non-vegetarian one. A vegetarian diet is easily digestible and contains lesser amount of harmful saturated fats that can clog your arteries. Vegetarians are also known to have fewer health risks of cancer, diabetes, heart diseases and cholesterol as compared to their meat-eating friends. They also tend to live longer. 9 Reasons Why Vegetarian Diet Is Healthier.

4. Quality Over Quantity When it Comes to Sleep

Sleeping for eight hours a day is of no use if you slept at 2:00 am and woke up at 10 am after binge-watching Stranger Things Season 3. PM Modi is known to be a light sleeper, snoozing off for only five-six hours in a day. In an interview, he confessed to having a sound sleep even if it is only for a couple of hours. "I go to bed, and within 30 seconds I fall asleep," he says. When it comes to sleep, there's no consensus on the amount. However, it is more important that you sleep soundly.

5. Meditation

Most of us don't try out meditation because there's either no time or too many things on our minds. But if the man holding the most important office in the country can find time to meditate, so can you. In a fitness challenge video PM Modi posted on Twitter, he is seen sitting in a meditative pose. Meditation can bring in a lot of benefits, starting with reducing stress.

Staying fit is no rocket science. Despite which, we lack the discipline to do simple things like eating right and sleeping on time. If we want to prosper as a nation, we should take fitness seriously and start today.  Take a leaf from PM Narendra Modi's book to begin.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 29, 2019 12:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).