Mamohlakola Letuka
‘NETE KHOANYANE will host an induction fitness boot camp at Maseru Preparatory grounds on Saturday 3 March, in an effort to instill a culture of exercising for health and fitness in Lesotho.
Speaking to the Weekender this week, Boot camp coordinator, ‘Nete Khoanyane said this first of its kind fitness boot camp will encourage people to invest in healthy lifestyles, which include performing regular exercises and eating healthy.
“There is a lot to learn about how to lead healthy lifestyles, for example, body weight does not necessarily translate to being healthy or unhealthy,” said Khoanyane.
She said some people do not exercise regularly because they feel they are naturally healthy owing to the size of their bodies, which can be mistaken to mean they are healthy.
“We have noticed that some people classify their health status by the size or structure of their bodies, which is not the case. You need to eat healthy, drink a lot of clean water and exercise every day for you to be healthy, among other health practices. You can be a big-sized person and still be healthy or appear healthy because of your stature when actually you are not fit,” Khoanyane said.
All people from different walks of life are welcome to participate in this one-day event. Khoanyane said participants will be coached through activities including Kick & Jab, High Intensity Interval Training and Functional (body weight) Training, among others.
She said in view of the high incidents of non-communicable diseases in Lesotho, most people are not aware that lack of exercise and poor eating habits are a contributing factor.
“Various researches have shown the benefits of regularly exercising including how particular exercises can improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition while decreasing blood pressure and blood fat levels.
“When you do not exercise, you risk some health complications that may lead to ailments such as diabetes and heart disease among others,” she said.
Khoanyane said healthy tips will be given to the participants to help them start the New Year on a healthy note. “We know how the food we eat impact on our health. Eating healthy does not mean spending an arm and leg,” she said.
She explained the importance of planned balanced meals and ensuring that one does not skip any of the meals a person is expected to take each day.
“We expect this initiative to be exciting because it talks to the wellbeing of all of us. It is important that we train our bodies and minds so that we can optimize our performance at home and at work. We need to do everything right, including exercising in order to support living to the fullest. It is critical that each morning when we wake up each day, we should look forward to tackling all challenges that will confront us because our bodies are healthy and we are of sound minds.”
Khoanyane said she expects this first boot camp to make a beginning of a series of other sweat-breaking initiatives to come.
