Rijiju urges people to take up rope skipping at home, promote 'Fit India'

With people staying indoors due to the governmnet mandated lockdown to curb COVID-19 spread, Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday appealed countrymen to do rope skipping at home and promote the Fit India Movement.

"SAI is promoting #FitIndiaMovement during the 21-Day lockdown. I appeal everyone to take up this simple exercise of Skipping Rope (rssii kuudnaa) at home. You can share it too. let's unite online, while maintaining social distance. rssii pkdd'-bhaart jodd'#IndiaFightsCorona," Rijiju tweeted.

The Minister also posted his video of doing rope skipping and said, "To prevent coronavirus we are staying at home but working online. I urge everyone to not forget fitness while at home. Rope skipping is very easy exercise and we all have to do it 2-3 minutes in a day to promote Fit India Movement."

His appeal to the citizens comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a 21-day lockdown in the country as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.

"In view of the current situation, the nationwide total lockdown will be in place for 21 days -- three weeks. It is a kind of a curfew," said Prime Minister Modi in his address to the nation.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday confirmed 539 positive cases of coronavirus in the country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had termed coronavirus as a pandemic on March 11.