Old age and ailments have not stopped members of Dikgosi elders group in Mamelodi East from keeping fit and healthy.
The senior citizens have exercise sessions three times a week, lasting an hour each, and they are already seeing results.
Chairperson of the Dikgosi elders group Margaret Bogopa (64) said the club was formed around February after seeing that many elders were falling sick and weak. When they visited the clinics, they were advised to exercise often.
“Many of the elderly people who started exercising with us no longer complain about body pains,” Bogopa said.
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“I’m very happy to see many older people, especially women gym,” said Bogopa.
“Chronic diseases like high blood pressure need a person to exercise a lot.”
Bogopa said when they started there were 120 members but the number went down and now they are 80 members and mostly women.
She said after a few months of joining when many of the women go for their monthly check-ups, their high blood is normal and some are no longer taking medicine after the doctors stopped them.
“Our main aim of starting the club for the elderly was also to fight boredom at home and encourage them to go out and exercise to keep fir and strong and it helps to meet new and old friends.”
Besides that, the club is also planning to have more activities for the elderly such as sewing, beading and acting.
In future, they want to see the group grow, and access to a good facility with equipment.
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Member Helen Mthupi (62) said since she joined the group she was “as healthy as a young person, and I can run and walk long distances again”.
Mthupi said earlier this year, she went to represent Gauteng in a competition for the elderly in Port Elizabeth where she came first in the 100m run beating her peers from all nine provinces.
However, she said before joining the club she used to get sick a lot but now she has gone without taking any prescription drugs or visiting the local clinic for about six months.
Brenda Matau said the club welcomed anyone for gym sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 08:00 and 09:00.
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