By Lynette A. Kembabazi and Valereen Mwahulhwa
According to the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) report, 60% of factors affecting individual health and quality of life are correlated with lifestyle. Millions of people follow an unhealthy lifestyle; hence, they encounter illness, disability, and even death.
In our daily lives, one needs a healthy body and mind. This is to enable proper functioning and, therefore, fruitfulness. Fitness is very important in the life of an individual, for it is a lifesaver, following Darwin’s principle of survival for the fittest.
February 9, 2024, marked the beginning of the 21 days of fitness launched by the fitness club of Uganda Christian University (UCU). The goal is to sensitise UCU staff and students to think about their health and, therefore, a healthy society.
Charles Lwanga Miti is a UCU student studying a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance. He is also the president of the UCU Fitness Club, which aims to foster a culture of conscious fitness participation within the UCU community.
Charles says, “We offer a platform where people can achieve all their dreams in regards to healthy living.” According to him, the club has so many outdoor activities compared to indoor activities because they want more people to engage in fitness activities.
They have aerobics every Tuesday and Thursday at the netball court; Conquer Ankrah, which is a hiking activity; swimming every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and jogging, which is a fairly new activity every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings.
Miti’s journey to a healthy lifestyle was stirred up by a sudden decision he made during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was tired of footing medical bills for various health issues he got along the way due to his unhealthy lifestyle of going to bars and drinking alcohol, having an active sexual life, and many other things. Says Miti.
He also hopes the UCU Fitness Club will grow and continue to influence more young people to join and participate in fitness activities, and that it will also bring together many other students from different universities with a common goal of living and having a healthier life.
Joseph Kyeswa, one of the organizers of the fitness club, is excited because they have registered numerous successes as per the program. “Many students and staff members are taking on steadily; we are going hard,” he said.
He believes that this is going to engage and impact the UCU community mentally, physically, and spiritually. Kyeswa believes that the fitness program will insert discipline because it comes with various values like attention spans while pursuing their degrees.
One of the participants, Hezekiah Kasigwa, advises students who haven’t registered for the 21 days of fitness to do so because this activity is to help improve brain health and will also help manage weight, especially those students who are willing to shed some weight.
Kasigwa also advises students who cannot make it to the activity to get into three half-hour workouts each week. Or a 30-minute walk twice a week. “You have to think about it before you can do it.” He quotes.
There are a few clubs that have engaged in this club, for example, “Team Matooke,” a nationwide running team that was officially launched on the 21-day challenge, and “The Ugandan Cycling Association.” This association presents different opportunities and hence improves different talents among the UCU community.
