Associate professor Lilyana Mircheva will lead a climb up the steps of Burgas' Sea Garden on Tuesday at 6:30pm to mark World Heart Day, observed on 29 September. Anyone who wants to join should gather at the start of the bridge, by the steps leading to the pier. The climb will take an hour.
The "Climb with your cardiologist" campaign is run by the Bulgarian Society of Cardiology. Mircheva, who heads the cardiology clinic at Burgasmed University Hospital, is coordinating it in Burgas and is inviting locals and visitors alike to take part, whatever their age.
The idea is to get more people moving, because that cuts the risk to the heart, Mircheva said. Climbing five flights of stairs a day lowers the risk of stroke and heart disease by 20%, she said, citing a study. Atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death worldwide, statistics show.
Mircheva is telling participants to wear comfortable clothes and trainers and come in good spirits. She expects the climb to draw a big crowd again this year — it's the latest in a run of years the event has been held in Burgas.
On Tuesday evening the bridge at Burgas' central beach will be lit up in red.