Tamale, Aug 24, GNA – The emergence of COVID-19 has changed physical activity preferences of some residents in the Tamale Metropolis as those, who previously joined groups for exercise to keep them fit, now exercise alone to avoid the disease.
Some, who played football on pitches with the full complement of players, now resort to playing football in small groups with a fewer number of players
Others, who patronised commercial gym centres, now do arm-pressing and or lift some objects at home.
This formed part of responses by some residents in the metropolis when the Ghana News Agency sought their experiences about how the COVID-19 pandemic changed their physical activity and exercise habits.
Mr Emmanuel Boahene, an Information Technology professional, who lives at Vittin, said “before the emergence of COVID-19 in the country, I used to join groups to go jogging in the mornings, especially during the weekends.
However, these days, when I go to our meeting places in the mornings, nobody turns up for us to go jogging.”
Mr Boahene said “Jogging in groups is fun. It helps us to cover long distances, which is good for our fitness. However, it is not comfortable wearing a face mask while jogging. So, I prefer to stay home and do arm-pressing or lift some items to keep fit.”
Engaging in physical activity or exercise to keep one fit forms part of measures to avoid or strengthen ones’ body system to fight and or survive the COVID-19.
However, jogging in groups and playing football amongst other physical activities was characterised by singing and shouting, which could produce COVID-19 infected droplets, the reason many were avoiding such activities in groups to reduce the spread of the disease.
So far, the country’s case count surpassed 43,500, out of which over 41,500 had recovered and 261 have died.
Miss Lilian Daboriku, a media practitioner, said “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I used not to exercise regularly. I only play volleyball twice a week. We used to go to the field and play for about two hours at T-Poly.”
Ms Daboriku added that “Now, because of the COVID-19, I go to the field regularly; like five days in a week to play volleyball. I do it because I want to boost my immune system.”
She said, however, that the number of people she played with had reduced from 12 to six, and others did not even come at all in a bid to avoid the disease.
Mr Iddris Abubakar, a graduate, who lives at Asawaba, said he regularly undertook press-ups, squatting, and stomach exercise in his house as well as play football, adding that the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic had not changed his physical activity regimen.
He further indicated that many of his friends did not turn up regularly to play football “So we only play small posts.”
Mr Abdul Majeed, who lives at Vittin, said he was a regular member of a keep fit club where he and other members regularly met to undertake various physical activities to keep them fit.
Mr Majeed said with the emergence of the pandemic, he only jogged in the house after dinner and early in the morning.
GNA