Fitnesspoint, a premium gym in Kigali, offers plans for corporate companies, and their employees are upbeat about the impact of regular exercise on job performance.
Physical activity is essential for people’s well-being; doctors say it every day. And we know it. However, certain realities might make it difficult for people to engage in physical activity unless they choose to do so.
This is the case for most office workers: many hours of sitting, and less time spent walking since motorised transport has become the prime option.
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However, according to corporate staff members who have chosen to exercise on a regular basis, going to the gym not only improves one’s physical fitness but also enhances job performance in various ways.
Well, the opposite would hardly be true. Some corporate employers in Kigali have already released this double- if not multi-benefit solution.
Fitnesspoint has two locations in Kigali, both equally well-endowed with first-rate equipment, swimming pools, professional coaches and physiotherapists. The two facilities, one in Nyarutarama and the other in Kimihurura, can be used by professional athletes and regular people.
According to the gym’s management, within three years of its opening, more than 20 corporate companies and institutions have signed up their employees for various fitness plans.
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One of these institutions is the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA), whose staff members had their first group training session with Fitnesspoint’s coaches in early August.
They discussed the benefits they’ve observed since making physical exercise a habit.
"I began my journey with Fitnesspoint in February and have since noticed a lot of benefits, physically, psychologically, professionally,” said Dr Marilyn Mulindahabi, the Division Manager of Pharmaceutical Inspections and Licencing at Rwanda FDA.
"Going to the gym reduces stress and, as physical exercise enhances brain function and concentration, I can focus more when I’m working and manage the tasks I have effectively,” she said.
Mulindahabi said office workers who do not do regular exercise should try going to the gym.
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Jose Edouard Munyangaju, the Division Manager for Regulatory Ecosystems Strategy, has made fitness a part of his life since secondary school.
The former professional basketball player also played for the national basketball team.
"Fitness has been part of my life, even if I had something else to do, such as studying pharmacy and, later, working in the health sector,” Munyangaju said.
With a background in sports and now working as a manager at the Rwanda FDA, Munyangaju undoubtedly knows a thing or two about the benefits of physical exercise for officer workers, especially with stress management.
"My colleagues always ask me what I do to remain stress-free all the time,” he said.
"I tell them if you cannot wake up early, say at five o’clock and do some jogging, find some time in the evening and do any kind of sport or exercise that you would like. And this always helps.
"This is true because that’s what I do. I always find time to exercise because it has a very positive impact on the work I do,” Munyangaju said.
There is a myriad of services on offer at Fitnesspoint, such as yoga, aerobics, trampoline, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, callisthenics, belly and glute camp, and kickboxing, weightlifting, among others.
As a side note, Munyangaju said that beyond work and physical wellness, regular exercise also enhances the sense of belonging in the society as a person gets to meet new people and form new relationships.