Recreational Athletics: Fueling happiness and vibrant lifestyles

Happy weekend from Mozzart Sport! Smile, it is the last weekend of the month. Do you feel totally drained after a long week? Maybe you feel so stressed out that you think you don’t have the energy to face another week. Life in this century can be extremely hectic, tiring, and stressful for a good number of people.

Our lives have become so busy that most of us have forgotten how important it is to set apart time for fun, leisure, and recreation. It is however crucial to balance life with recreational activities, especially recreational athletics.

Jogging or running is the most popular form of recreational athletics. This is an appealing exercise because it doesn't cost a lot to take part and you can run at any time that suits you. You could choose to participate in fun runs, athletics races, or marathons. Through this costless method, you are protecting yourself from the ‘top killers’ in the world.

The world is currently witnessing a significant increase in the global burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), chief among them cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke; cancer; and diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases as well as mental health illnesses.

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Together they account for nearly three-quarters of deaths in the world, taking 41 million lives every year. The risk of cardiovascular diseases increases up to 1.5 for persons who do not follow minimum physical activity recommendations. According to health experts, each week adults need 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening activity.

150 minutes of physical activity each week sounds like a lot, but you don’t have to do it all at once. It could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You can spread your activity out during the week and break it up into smaller chunks of time.

To date, only a handful of countries are on track to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.4 which recognizes NCDs as a major challenge for sustainable development.

As part of the Agenda, heads of state and government committed to developing ambitious national responses, by 2030, to reduce by one-third premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment (SDG target 3.4). The World Health Organization (WHO) plays a key leadership role in the coordination and promotion of the global fight against NCDs and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals target 3.4.

Overall physical inactivity is estimated to cause 1.9 million deaths globally. Physical inactivity causes globally, about 10-16% of breast cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancers, and diabetes mellitus.

According to Sports Expert Dr. Kipchumba Byron, the cheapest and most effective way to avoid being victims is through recreational sports or fitness regimes.

“When your body improves, then the incidences of diseases decrease. Hence, a healthy body. This increased immunity is achieved through recreational sports or fitness regimes. Longevity in lifespan and a healthy body lead to a healthy mind and soul and thus a happy person. These are the goals of participating in sports and wellness programs,” he offered.

The Iten-based expert also observed that most organizations have fitness centers on their premises to increase productivity in the workplace and reduce work stoppages.

“The reason why most organizations have gyms on their premises is to improve the wellness of their employees. Sick employees frequently have sick offs and hospital visits, and this minimizes their effectiveness and reduces productivity since most of the time, their negative energy reduces their effort and diligence at work,” Dr. Kipchumba explained.

Recreational athletics, according to the expert, play a great role in improving mental amplitude.

“People who are engaged in sports and wellness activities have the added advantage of mental alertness, and their intelligence is improved,” he concluded.

NCDs global facts

- Every two seconds, one person under the age of 70 dies of an NCD.

- 86 percent of those deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

This major public health shift has gone largely unnoticed over the last decades.

Eliminating tobacco, harmful alcohol, and unhealthy diets could prevent or delay NCD-related illnesses, health, and premature deaths.