25 Jun 2018

Public officers have been encouraged to exercise regularly to avoid stress and diseases such as high blood pressure and sugar diabetes.   

Assistant district commissioner for Kanye Administrative Authority, Ms Keamogetse Segokgo, said at a wellness day conducted by District Health Management Team (DHMT) in Kanye recently that exercising was essential as it could help reduce stress and lead to a healthy mind. 

She urged public officers of all ages and walks of life to improve their fitness so they could ultimately feel happier.

Ms Segokgo, who was the guest speaker, also said exercising could reduce the frequency of visiting health facilities’ during working hours and taking sick leave.

She said lack of exercise and poor nutrition resulted in unfit public officers, saying they should see to it that they lived a healthy life.

She noted that public officers should be proud of who they are and the impact they make in the lives of the people they serve.

 Ms Segokgo reiterated that lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and sugar diabetes could be reduced through regular exercise. 

Earlier on when welcoming the participants, Ms Pontsho Keretetse said wellness day was the time for members of staff to relax and share ideas as well as exercising.

The objectives of the day were to encourage public officers to exercise every day, to get fit and take care of themselves. 

Public officers were encouraged to also eat properly every time.

Mr Onalethata Maiketso, an official from DHMT, advised public officers to test for various diseases, saying wellness activities improve staff morale and productivity as well as reducing absenteeism and stress in the workplace. 

He said wellness also reduces health expenditure, saying workers’ pay a lot of money for consultations with doctors. 

Activities of the day included aerobics, netball for both men and women, tug of war, volleyball, relays, egg race, balloon race, orange race, water race, football and 100-metre race, and it was held under the theme: ‘A healthy Employee, is a Productive Employee’. ENDS