Zimbabwe Fitness Club Innovatively Uses Cemetery for Healthy Living

The Commandos Fitness Club in Zimbabwe is utilizing a cemetery as a workout spot for older adults, helping them manage health conditions like diabetes and hypertension. Founded by Joseph Nekati after his mother’s stroke, the club addresses the lack of affordable exercise spaces. With rising non-communicable diseases in Zimbabwe, this initiative emphasizes the necessity of regular physical activity for health maintenance.

In Zimbabwe, a unique fitness initiative has emerged where the Commandos Fitness Club offers workout sessions at a cemetery in Harare, catering primarily to older adults. Founded by Joseph Nekati in response to his mother’s stroke in 2023, the club has attracted about 20 members who utilize the gravesite’s paths for their daily exercises such as walking and stretching. This approach helps members combat health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.

The club provides a solution to the lack of safe and affordable exercise options in Zimbabwe, where public gyms can be pricey, and outdoor spaces are often congested and poorly maintained. While some residents resort to exercising along highways or old rail tracks, the cemetery has become a preferred and tranquil environment for fitness enthusiasts. Joseph Nekati, the club’s founder, aims to help others avoid health problems similar to those faced by his mother.

As the prevalence of non-communicable diseases like heart disease and diabetes rises across Africa, these ailments are responsible for approximately 40% of Zimbabwe’s annual deaths. Contributing factors include unhealthy diets, inadequate physical activity, and substance abuse, affecting even younger demographics. To combat this, the Zimbabwean government has implemented a modest tax on fast food to promote healthier eating habits, but the appeal of inexpensive fast food remains strong in urban areas.

For now, older adults, exemplified by 65-year-old Nelly Mutandwa, are turning to initiatives like the Commandos Fitness Club to maintain their active lifestyles. They hope that local authorities will invest in developing proper fitness facilities, providing more suitable alternatives to exercising in a graveyard environment.

The formation of the Commandos Fitness Club in Zimbabwe highlights a creative solution to the challenges of finding accessible fitness venues. Through community-driven initiatives, older adults are empowered to improve their health despite the obstacles of high gym costs and poor public infrastructure. As non-communicable diseases become more prevalent, the importance of regular exercise and healthy living becomes paramount for the wellness of Zimbabwe’s aging population. Continued advocacy for more public fitness infrastructure could significantly benefit community health outcomes.

Original Source: globalsouthworld.com