In 2002, he won a battle for life. Seven years down the line, he has won a match of muscles with his toned abs. Meet the man with a big heart, Mr Universe Mahadev Deka. The 40-year old engineer from Assam on Saturday clinched the title in bantam weight category for India at the 2009 Musclemania Superbody world championship in Florida.

His wife Nayana, a fitness freak herself, said: “Mahadev called me up from Florida on Sunday after winning the title. This is the happiest moment for us. We are waiting for him to reach home.” In 2008, he was the runners-up at a musclemania contest in Miami.

Though he had to struggle with a tight budget for his diet, Mahadev is the first from the state to win the prestigious world body building championship. Mahadev underwent an open-heart surgery in August 2002.

Post-operation, he developed a lump in his chest. Doctors advised an open-heart surgery to get it removed. He took a break of three months. But his love for the sport took him back to his favorite place, the gym. Mahadev is an assistant engineer with the public health department of the Assam government.

Mahadev took his first training from Monohar Aich in Kolkata in 1992 and went on to win bronze at Bharar Kumar championship in Bangalore the same year.

If you know anyone interested in cardiac rehabilitation (rehab), please get in touch with  Dr Aashish Contractor, Head of Department: Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation at the Asian Heart Institute, Mumbai, India.  He is not only a brilliant doctor but a great human being. His cardiac rehab patients have participated in the Mumbai Marathon over the past few years.

Contact information:

Dr Aashish Contractor

Tel: 91-22-6698 6666

Fax: 91-22-6698 6506
Email: ascontractor (AT) ahric.com

ascontractor (AT) gmail.com

What Is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a medically supervised program that helps improve the health and well-being of people who have heart problems.

Rehab programs include exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you return to an active life.

Cardiac rehab helps people who have heart problems:

• Recover after a heart attack or heart surgery. 
• Prevent future hospital stays, heart problems, and death related to heart problems. 
• Address risk factors that lead to coronary artery disease and other heart problems. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol (ko-LES-ter-ol), overweight or obesity, diabetes, smoking, lack of physical activity, and depression and other emotional health concerns.
• Adopt healthy lifestyle changes. These changes may include a heart healthy eating plan, increased physical activity, and learning how to manage stress.
• Improve their health and quality of life.

Each patient will have a program that’s designed to meet his or her needs.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Team

Cardiac rehab involves a long-term commitment from the patient and a team of health care providers.

The cardiac rehab team may include doctors (such as a family doctor, a heart specialist, and a surgeon), nurses, exercise specialists, physical and occupational therapists, dietitians or nutritionists, and psychologists or other mental health specialists. In some cases, a case manager will help track the patient’s care.

Working with the team is an important part of cardiac rehab. The patient should share questions and concerns with the team. This will help the patient reach his or her goals.

Outlook

People of all ages can benefit from cardiac rehab. The lifestyle changes made during rehab have few risks. These changes can improve your overall health and prevent future heart problems and even death.

Exercise training as part of cardiac rehab may not be safe for all patients. For example, people who have very high blood pressure or severe heart disease may not be ready to exercise. These patients can still benefit from other parts of the cardiac rehab program.

Ask your doctor whether cardiac rehab can help you prevent a future heart problem and improve your health.