Living a healthy lifestyle is important but often people neglect the basics such as exercising and eating clean. Gym memberships and committing to working out can be the springboard to a healthier lifestyle and a smaller kapunda. spoke to a few gym fanatics about their fitness journeys.
Beefing Up
Peter Nakuumba first took out gym membership in 2011 but only became an active member this August. He decided to join the gym because he wanted to work on the aspects of his body he didn’t like.
The youth leader and public speaker says he was very skinny and as a result insecure, and so committed to building muscle in the gym which has benefitted him in more ways than one.
“I have noticed that my confidence has improved because of how the gym has transformed me. I am now more confident when I do my pubic speaking,” said Nakuumba.
He believes joining the gym will benefit him in the long run and admitted that when he first began his fitness journey, he was shy and did not feel confident to be in the gym because of how he looked but he later realised that he was doing this for himself. He later became comfortable working out around people with ‘perfect bodies’.
Local trainer Lukas Amunyela* told The that men should acknowledge the benefits of exercising and start looking after their health while they are still relatively young.
“You do not have to sign up for a gym membership, you can do simple exercises like jogging. Make sure you eat healthy. Don’t wait to start living a healthy lifestyle after retirement when your body starts experiencing medical problems,” he said.
Amunyela believes it is wiser to move progressively towards a healthy lifestyle while still young as it prevents age related illnesses.
Shona Ngava, who started his fitness journey in 2015, said that he joined the gym because he did not have hobbies that kept him busy during his leisure time and figured the gym was the only place he could invest his time and money wisely. “Physically, my posture has improved stupendously as I was very skinny before I joined the gym but now I look more physically appealing. It has boosted my spunk,” said Ngava.
He says besides living a healthy lifestyle, the gym is a place where one can discover more traits and qualities about themselves. “I have realised that I like helping people out and I that I am not one to give up on my goals easily. These are just some qualities I discovered through this journey.”
Ngava cautioned those who would like to start a healthy lifestyle through working out to take time to learn about how eating healthy complements exercise. He said that one may work out a lot but if they do not watch their diet, it might take a long time for them to start noticing the results.
“Eating healthy is a very important element of living a healthy lifestyle. Working out tirelessly is pointless if you do not monitor your eating habits,” he concluded.
