Optimal health is a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual health that is enhanced by eating nutritiously and moving your body regularly in ways that are appropriate for your fitness level.
In an interview with our reporter, the Managing Director of Zabri Sports, Keith Polo, who is a graduate in hospital engineering (a Ugandan raised in New York and Boston in the United States-US), said that their motive is to promote optimal health through sports, adding that his calling is to ensure that Ugandans are living healthy lives through exercising and sports while using his products that are on international standards, like Addidas, Nike, and Puma, among others.
Polo noted that regular physical activity helps prevent and treat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer.
He added that regular exercise also helps prevent hypertension, strengthens bones, muscles, and joints, lowers the risk of developing osteoporosis or joint problems (such as arthritis), overweight, and obesity, and improves mental health, quality of life, and well-being.
“We are trying to promote good health through sports and also encourage the youth to engage in sports so that the older persons can also understand that being healthy and fit can also help healthwise, such as lowering blood pressure, strengthening bones, muscles, and joints, reducing stress and depression, and having fun by bringing to Ugandans the high quality standard of the US,” Polo noted.
According to Margaret Muntu, regular physical activity, which includes working out, walking, and running, plays a key role in achieving optimal health.
“Walking and running are the best times to be alone, with no distraction. You can’t run or walk with a phone or a laptop, and as a result, your emotions and mind are in sync. You think about yourself, reflect, and relax,” Muntu said.
Muntu, who is also a recreational walker, attested to the therapeutic benefits of walking, describing it as a form of therapy that she has embraced for the past three years.
In addition to the mental rejuvenation provided by walking, Dr. Muntu emphasized the mood-boosting effects of working out.
“Working out boosts my mood, and I am consistently happy, and it’s a joy to be around. My mental well-being has improved greatly over the past two years. People no longer have to second-guess me, especially those that I supervise,” Muntu added.
Indeed, walking and running are not only accessible but also free forms of exercise, whether one has money or not. Lace up your shoes, step outside, and embark on a journey towards better health—one step at a time.
