CBD community members dance and box their way to health

Leading an active lifestyle needs to become a priority in today’s society, especially with the escalating statistics on obesity and health-related issues.

That is why when Xolani Mdluli approached the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) with the idea for a street gym that would be accessible to the community and promote health, CoJ was quick to jump on board and grant him permission to use the Roodepoort City Hall parking lot for the gym’s first session.

This street gym is the first of its kind to come to the Roodepoort CBD, and the reaction to the first session on Saturday, 2 November, was astounding. While the Rugby World Cup Final and the morning rain may have affected the attendance, those who were present at the event enjoyed it so much that they asked for it to become a weekly occurrence.

Xolani organised this event in conjunction with CoJ, Unsuicidal Thoughts, World Changers Mental Health Care Organization, and the Asthukanga Fearless Society. The mental health awareness organisations were there to make sure everyone was taken care of and to educate the community on the benefits exercise has for a person’s mental health.

This session was more of an introduction to the initiative; to show people what it is all about. Starting in February 2020, these sessions will be held every second Saturday at the same venue.

This street gym project aims to not only get people active, but to educate people on health, sports, and fitness as well.

Residents were able to exercise, learn, and enjoy various health and fitness stalls, as well as get their blood pressure tested.

The warm-up for the day included three aerobic sessions before Cleopatra Simelane took the floor to lead a Boxercise class, which is largely based on kickboxing. The next session was led by musician Dlozi Cheddar Mahlatse. His session was based on dance and had attendees of all ages dancing their way to health with giant smiles on their faces.

The goals of this project are to spread the initiative as far and wide as possible, to get other communities involved, and to motivate them to start street gyms in their area.

Xolani would like to spread the message and get people to become more aware of their health without the hindrance of ignorance or stereotypes. “When it comes to your health, the sooner you attend to it, the better.”