Zimbabwean fitness club turns gravesite into workout spot to save lives
A fitness club in Zimbabwe has established a workout spot at a cemetery for older people looking to stay fit and fight disease.
Every morning, a group gathers at a graveyard in Harare to exercise, using the wide paths for walking, stretching, and other workouts.
The Commandos Fitness Club was started by Joseph Nekati after his mother suffered a stroke in 2023. It now has about 20 members, including several older adults who say regular exercise has helped them manage health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.
Members of the club use the long routes to the club as a routine exercise means to maintain their health.
This comes as many Zimbabweans struggle to find safe and affordable places to exercise.
Gyms are expensive, and streets are often too crowded or in poor condition. Some people work out along highways or abandoned railway tracks, making the cemetery a preferred option for this group.
Owner of the club, Joseph Nekati says he uses this as a means to help others reduce facing similar fates like his mother.
As health experts warn that non-communicable diseases, such as heart problems and diabetes, are rising across Africa, these diseases cause about 40% of deaths each year in Zimbabwe.
Doctors say poor diets, lack of exercise, and substance abuse are making the problem worse, even among young people.
While Zimbabwe’s government has introduced a small tax on fast foods like burgers, fries, and doughnuts to encourage healthier eating, many citizens still turn to fast food as the easiest means of getting cheap meals.
Fast food has become increasingly popular in cities, with both international franchises and local vendors selling cheap, unhealthy meals.
For now, older Zimbabweans like 65-year-old Nelly Mutandwa are relying on fitness clubs to stay active, while hoping that local authorities will work towards building proper fitness facilities as alternatives to exercising among the graves.
