BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Jan 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – On a road over a railway track
outside the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo, about 30 people from surrounding
townships go through their morning exercise routines.
The wide stretch of road is a well-known gathering spot each morning from 5
to 7 am for fitness enthusiasts who stretch, jog, shadow-box, plank and do
squats, push-ups, sit-ups and jumps.
The nearby townships of Emakhandeni and Cowdray Park have scant health
facilities, and the bridge is a safe, social spot for anyone looking to burn
some calories at the start of the day.
On Sunday, two young footballers did warm-up drills under the eye of their
coach, groups of men worked out together and a couple shared a laugh as they
exercised while small children joined in.
“I come with my sisters as early as we can, like at 5 am, and we come every
day,” said Sidumsile Mthethwa, a 20-year-old arts student. “On Sundays we
come before church.
“It keeps kids busy, and it allows us to spend time together — others come
from different places around so we meet here.
“We connect as young people and we get to know each other better.”
– ‘Fitness is key to a healthy life’ –
“There’s a local gym but there’s no equipment,” said Emmanuel Sibanda, 25,
a keen bodybuilder. “We come here because it is a way to lose weight and look
good. People want to be healthy.”
The fitness “club” has no name, members or structure, and each group does
its own routines, with some bringing along music on mobile phones or small
hand-held stereos.
They use the road curbs for step exercises and drainage holes for their
feet when doing sit-ups, or they sprint up and down the steep embankment from
the bridge down to the railway tracks.
Some also jog along the railway, from one concrete sleeper to the next.
“That’s not the best exercise — it could lead to injury,” warned amateur
football coach Julius Ndlovu, who brought two young players from a local side
for pre-season training before matches start in March.
“Many kids take drugs but if they come here in the morning they avoid
that,” he said.
“Fitness is the key to a healthy life — you have to fight against high
blood pressure and diabetes.”
As the morning progresses, traffic picks up and the small crowd clears off
the road to allow cars, trucks and buses to hurtle past on their way to and
from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city.
The session ends with a coordinated exercise when about eight pairs run
towards each other from either side of the road.
They jump in the air 10 times, clapping their partner’s hand each time in a
final burst of energy.