WATCH: Women gym in the park
About 25 women from Selcourt Enclosure have turned a local park into a gym.
Some of them started making use of the gym equipment in the park at the enclosure entrance in 2016.
Their trainer Jomo Mabilo says that, when he first noticed a small group of women doing fitness exercises in January 2016, he decided to assist them with the proper techniques and advice on healthy exercises.
“The small group has grown to about 25 women and I encourage and motivate them to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” he says.
Retired nurse Deliwe Kodisang (62) used to meet a few women at the park every morning to do some exercises.
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They had no idea about the proper techniques for doing Tabata workouts (a variety of aerobic and non-aerobic exercises) until Jomo offered to assist them.
“We were just doing some simple lifestyle exercises,” she says.
Deliwe is not taking any chronic medication, eats healthily and leads the exercise group.
After Jomo’s intervention, the group has grown to 25 women between the ages of 27 and 62 years.
The women warm up before they use the gym equipment, then do 30 minutes of exercises and take a five to seven-and-a-half km walk.
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Girly Motaung (58) recently joined the exercise group and has since dropped three dress sizes.
In October Mavis Mofokeng’s (56) doctor advised her to join a gym and she immediately joined the exercise group.
“I feel wonderful,” she says.
Some of the women joined the group to lose weight, but soon enjoyed the exercises so much that they changed their eating habits.
“I lost 21kg since I started exercising and it is a wonderful feeling to stay fit and healthy,” says Sibongile Mthimkhulu (27).
The group get together at the park at 8am Monday to Friday.
