10 Nov 2019

Principal legal investigator at Office of Ombudsman, Ms Itumeleng Makgesi said by becoming mentally and physically fit, the country’s workforce would be able to enhance productivity.

Speaking during the Francistown District Fitness Day on November 8, Ms Makgesi said statistics had shown that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) caused 36 million deaths globally.

She said that NCDs were preventable and some of the preventable measures included simple lifestyle changes like an improved diet and physical training.

Ms Makgesi noted that fitness days helped them to re-evaluate what they had been doing to stay focused, adding that they could count on behavioral change.

She said it was crucial to exercise regularly to curb Non-Communicable Diseases and encouraged all to participate fully and make a difference in their lifestyle.

Ms Makgesi also quoted Kelly Colihan Robertson as saying, ‘Today is my tomorrow, it is up to me to shape it, to control it and gaze every opportunity and that the power is in the choices I make each day, I eat well, I live well and I shape me.’

The theme of the day was; Get active to prevent and control Non-Communicable Diseases and the activities of the day included fitness walk, aerobics, athletics, tug of war, egg and spoon race, balloon/orange race, football, netball, volleyball and basketball.

One elder, Ms Lesedi Chimunyunga told BOPA that the event was a good initiative and suggested that it be held twice a month to cater for those who cannot exercise at home.

Ms Chimunyunga said that she enjoyed all the games that she participated in, adding that the games brought back memories of when she was still a school girl. Ends