It’s my policy that at the weekend I wake up early to do ‘siporo’. Siporo is a Kinyarwanda word meaning sports of different kinds. For me it means taking to the streets for a jog and stretching to keep myself fit and to shake-off the long week stress. When I started running from home to anywhere I felt I could reach a year back, I was surprised to find other people doing the cross-country runs aswell. I began noticing that there was a kind of fellowship among sportsmen.

Fellow joggers clap or smile, wave or shout ‘courage’ in French (loosely translated: ‘keep it up’). Some even take struggling joggers (especially ladies) by the hand to keep them going. This no doubt helps even the weakest of runner keep up his or her commitment to fitness.

Why I wondered were people of different ages, calibres and sizes doing sports. And why is their number increasing everyday?

In the early morning and evening hours it is now very common to see joggers on the streets of Kigali. Some have formed sporting groups. I am often joined by fellow sportsmen for some stretching before heading home.

I discovered that employees of government ministries are obliged to take exercise. Some ministries even pay for their employees to become members of gyms where they can workout.

Why are all these people hitting the streets? Is it for weight loss, fitness, stress relief or to meet people? I asked Prossy Ndiwami, a regular jogger.

Ndiwami explained that she wanted to balance the fatty brochettes she eats every evening after work.

Moses Kalisa, who hits the streets every weekend for a run, said apart from those wanting to keep fit, others are motivated by wanting to look good.

"Your body shape develops well, which attracts women.” For Pierre Manzi, who runs almost every day, his reasons for siporo are inline with mine; to shake-off stress.

"Whenever I feel stressed, I try to find time for some jogging.” Yet Claude Gatare, 13, another fellow jogger, his does siporo upon his daddy’s request for company.

"It is not that I have a genuine reason for my exercising. In fact at times I say no and daddy goes alone.”

Robert Kayisire, Gatera’s father, says before he disliked the prospect of taking exercise and never thought to go for a run. But he was advised by doctors due to his increasing weight to try and exercise.

Since he began, his belly size has reduced slightly and he feels better about his weight now. He is trying to encourage his children to get active so that they may avoid some of the problems he has encountered.

Dr. Jules Kabahizi of King Faisal Hospital said that we should all be thinking about reducing our risk of cancer by trying to maintain a healthy body weight.

"I always try to eat a healthy, balanced diet and exercise regularly,” he says.

I met Austin Mugisha out running. He told me that he does siporo whenever he feels bored or in the company of friends.

"Most of my friends say [jogging] is for enjoyment. For some it is almost an addiction now.”

The joy of jogging is that its only real requirement is a pair of trainers. No expensive membership fees, no special equipment or clothing.

It’s just you and the road

There is no time limitation all that’s needed is a desire and some motivation. People wake up as early as 5 a.m. to go jogging before work; no gym is yet open.

The countless joggers pounding the pavements are proof that messages about the benefits of activity and maintaining a healthy heart are getting through to people.

Heading out for a jog?

Some tips

As with all exercise, you must warm up first. Start by walking at a brisk pace, then gradually break into a slow jog.

Run at a pace at which you can still hold a conversation, but which definitely feels harder than walking. If you’re getting too breathless to talk, slow down or walk for a while until you’re breathing more easily.

To begin with, aim to run/walk in this way for ten minutes in total. Do this every second or third day, gradually reducing the walking time and increasing the running until you can run for the full ten minutes.

At the end of each session, warm down by finishing with a slow jog or brisk walk until your heart rate and breathing have returned to more normal levels. Stretch while your muscles are still warm.

Next, start to increase the total duration of your run by a minute or two every third session, until you can manage 30 minutes three times a week. Even if you’re feeling good, don’t be tempted to increase your running time by more than ten per cent each week.

Many people are put off running because they find it boring. For this reason, it is important to get a bit of variety in your running. There are many different sorts of running – road running, cross-country running, fell running (running in the hills), or you could run at your local athletics track, or even on a treadmill at the gym (though running on a moving treadmill uses less energy).

Staying motivated

• Have a clear aim, such as competing in a local fun run or being able to run non-stop for an hour.

• Be realistic. Don't commit to run a marathon in three months if you've never run before.

• Think of yourself as a runner and make running a habit, just like cleaning your teeth. Think in terms of "when I go for my run" rather than "if I go for a run".

• Keep a diary. Record your progress, the time of day, weather, how you felt, where you went and so on.

Other ways to get fit

Walking

Walking improves the condition of your heart and lungs (cardiovascular fitness) and works the muscles of the lower body. It’s a weight-bearing activity, so it may improve bone density, yet it’s also low impact, putting less stress on the joints than some other forms of exercise.

In the gym

The Fitness and Wellness Centre at Hotel Novotel, (probably the best in town) say the number of clientele is increasing.

Jacques Ngabonziza, manager of fitness and exercise at the gym, says people who come to the gym with specific objectives since different machines address different needs.

In the gym, there are abdominal exercises, tricep and bicep exercises, forearm, leg and back exercises on different cardio machines like leg press, bikes, and treadmills among others. He highlighted that jogging only helps with fitness and stress relief while gym work helps tone and build muscle.

Swimming

Swimming works different muscles than you normally do, adding another dimension to your fitness programme. Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts.

Cycling

This can be part of your routine. If you’re worried about making time for exercise, why not see whether it’s feasible to cycle to and from work, which would incorporate excellent exercise into your normal daily routine.

Because the bicycle supports your body, cycling isn’t necessarily a weight-bearing exercise. This means it’s good for people with certain bone and joint problems because it puts very little pressure on them, but it makes it less effective for protecting against osteoporosis.

Dance

Dancing is largely an aerobic activity that improves the condition of the heart and lungs, as well as testing your balance. To dance for any length of time also requires muscular endurance and motor fitness.

Football

Football is a multiple sprint sport requiring players to spend some of their time sprinting and other times running fast or slowly, walking or even standing still.

Varying degrees of fitness are required, depending on the player’s position in the team, the amount of time spent on the field and the level at which the game is played, but a full 90-minute match, for example, demands high levels of aerobic fitness.

Contact: eddiemukaaya@yahoo.com