How Running Help You to Keep Fit And Healthy

 

Being fit is a state of health that everybody should aspire to. It is different from slimness. Not all slim people are fit and not all fit people are slim. People really need to differentiate between the two. My slimmest sister cannot perform some simple stretch exercises without a, meanwhile someone who looks fatter than her may be able to do the same exercises easily. Increasing awareness of the role of our fitness level in our overall physical health means more and more people are turning towards exercise to help them keep fit. There are more gyms in Nigeria now and definitely more fitfam clubs and activities organised by individuals for free or for paid subscription.
However, it seems that running is a more popular exercise form worldwide and Nigerians are not left behind. Some run in groups and some run in isolation. There are softwares and bodywear technology that aid the motivated runner and helps them accomplish their fitness goals. There are music apps that supply music to suit your running pace. There are apps and products that will measure the distance you run and the number of steps you took.

Fitness is very important and we should all strive to keep fit and strong but to tell the truth, how many of us can run on the roads in the city? Even the inner streets are still riddled with potholes, okada, animals etc. I look at fitfam pictures of people running on some Aba roads and it makes sense because people mostly keep to traffic rules there but what if you lived in Ikwerre Road? Rumuokoro? Ada-George ? Would you run on the roads? I don’t think so either. I remember the jeers and catcalls I experienced when I went jogging one Saturday. It was on an inner street devoid of vehicular traffic. Yet human beings heckled me. I just could not make myself do it another time. So how do we get so action going without getting in harm’s way?

How do we run, for example, if we do not live in the saner parts of  Agip Estate?

Most of the solutions I have to give are location-dependent.

• If you live around Stadium Road, you could take advantage of the many sport/fitness activities inside the Stadium.

• If you live within a private estate, it is easier to jog within the estate alone or in a group.

• If you live in a building with two or more floors, take advantage of the staircase and count turns on it at a time when it is least in use. Bonus tip: if you climb stairs in such a way that the pressure goes to your buttocks; it firms them at the same time.

• If you use public transport to get to work, try not to take bike rides for the short distances in between. Use the walking opportunity to give your body a stretch. It is may not be as intense as running definite distances but it is definitely better than no exercise.

What measures do you take to keep fit? Let us know in the comments section below.