adminAllen Khumalo, Sports Reporter
A leading Bulawayo fitness centre, Body Works Gym, has embraced the Ministry of Sport and Recreation’s plans of creating a more physically active nation by running a three-month winter special for all its exercise programmes.
Regular exercise helps prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, and Body Works Gym manager Donovan Ashborne said they had introduced the special to ensure people remained active during the cold months at an affordable cost.
Ashborne said his gym, which is located in the Parkade Centre, had slashed subscriptions to $25 per month, with a $5 joining fee up to the end of August, so that costs don’t inhibit people interested in health and fitness from exercising under qualified instructors.
“We are running a winter special by reducing our prices to $25 per month as a way of encouraging our clients to remain active for good health and for others to also embrace a healthy lifestyle,” said Ashborne.
He underlined the importance of working out during winter, saying exercising all year round had fantastic benefits that help boost energy and productivity.
“Some people tend to think that winter is a great time to relax and skip exercises. In fact, it’s even more important to exercise in winter than in summer since we spend lots of time idle and tend to eat higher calorie foods. Not only is that bad for your waistline, but it can affect one’s health,” he said.
Exercising is the best means of guarding against disease, as one that is weak in health often falls prey to diseases. Working out has been proved to help prevent strokes, type 2 diabetes, depression and some types of cancers. It also helps decrease one’s risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Ashborne said going to the gym was not only about weightlifting as most people mistakenly believe, but each person exercises according to their individual wishes.
He encouraged people to take up aerobics exercises, which are a form of physical workout that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines to improve all elements of fitness.
“Aerobics is the backbone of any gym because most people love it, especially ladies. We have aerobics classes three times a day from Monday to Friday and a class on Saturdays. We have a morning, afternoon and evening class conducted by experienced and passionate instructors to cater for different categories of people.
“We are also resuscitating our spin club and held our first session on Monday. The response was overwhelming and people can expect more promotions this winter as we go along,” Ashborne said.
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