WATCH: Bon Vie takes hiking drive to Matopos

ONE of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to promote good health and well-being, something that Vivat Health Solutions through its flagship Medical Aid Scheme, Bon Vie, also buys into.

The organisation has engaged members of the public on a hiking drive to foster healthy habits and on Saturday, more than 200 people took part in the second edition of the “Mountain Hiking Experience” at Matopos National Park.

The first edition was held at Domboshava Cave last year where less than 90 hikers attended. Research has shown that those who hike and practice physical exercise build stronger muscles and bones, improve sense of balance, decrease the risk of certain respiratory problems and this fortifies mental stability.

Vivat Health Solutions group managing director Thembelihle Mloyi-Ncube said the hiking drive was meant to conscientise people on the need to keep fit.

“Bon Vie means good life, and when we talk of good life, that can only come from someone who is healthy. We believe in well-being; we believe in wellness. This is one of our wellness events where we speak a lot about physical wellness,” she said.

“However, we look at holiness in a holistic manner.

“We talk about mental health, we talk about what we eat, the diet side of life, as well as physical exercise. Today (Saturday), we just came together to celebrate our health and to say ‘look, let’s do the hiking together, and let’s have fun’. Next year, we continue with the drive and we might be coming back to Matabeleland in Nyanga,” she said.

The event was sponsored by Zibuko Capital, Pacific Cigarette Company, Nyaradzo Group, Spar and Exide and saw hikers being treated to free medical services inclusive of HIV tests, weight, BP, and BMI checks and given tips on how to maintain their bodies in optimal shape.

In the past, Vivat Health Solutions has made deliberate efforts to provide inclusive programmes to ensure that members of the public make it a habit to periodically visit medical practitioners for cancer screenings, mental evaluations, and general checks to avoid late detections of deadly medical conditions and diseases.

This year, through Bon Vie held workshops aimed at imploring men to take care of their mental health as findings of the research showed that men bottle their feelings instead of. – @MbuleloMpofu