KETRA KALUNGA writes
ZAMBIANS should exercise frequently to avoid government spending a lot of money treating people from various ailments that come with not exercising their bodies, says Kabwe Central Member of Parliament (MP), Tutwa Ngulube
Mr Ngulube said about 90 percent of people especially the youth were dying from non-communicable or life style diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and stroke among others due to lack of exercising.
Speaking when he kicked off a monthly aerobics programme which attracted mostly the young people in Kabwe yesterday, Mr Ngulube said lifestyle diseases had no cure but the body could fight them through exercising.
Mr Ngulube who is deputy parliamentary chief whip said he and the organizing committee intended to grow the programme into a national event especially that President Edgar Lungu has lead the way by making it a mandate to run every Saturday.
“The President has become so fit that you have to think twice whether to run in front of him or behind because he can run at any speed, said Mr Ngulube.
He said it was therefore incumbent on every youth to take exercising a matter of priority because lifestyle diseases which were claiming lives of young people had no cure apart from regular exercises.
And Mr Ngulube said the net effect of suffering from lifestyles diseases was to remain on a drug for the rest of one’s life hence the need to keep fit.
“Being on a drug for the rest of one’s life continues to kill the liver and kidney making you weak so let’s take this national programme seriously,” said Mr Ngulube.
He said exercising helped to burn fats in the body that most people got from eating fast foods and keeping fit prevented them from such diseases.