Iluyomade Harps on Need to Keep Fit amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

… As Arise Walk for Life Kicks Off Globally October 16th

Mary Nnah

As preparations for this year’s edition of the Arise Charity Walk intensify, the Convener, Dr Siju Iloyomade, has emphasised the critical need to keep fit especially as countries continue to battle the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Addressing journalists during a press conference held to communicate the modalities for this year’s episode, she said there was so much walkouts can do to the body, chief among which was increase in metabolism.

Stressing that walking helps improve immunity and physical health, she added, “There is so much walking can do, it increases your metabolism, kills obesity and so on. So, you derive a lot from walking every day. It expands your lifespan; it’s been proven, tested and it is the way to go.”

Speaking further she said, “Nigeria is blessed with a pleasant weather, what we do normally as lifestyle became a saving grace for us while the pandemic ravaged other countries, hence we need to continuously exercise to keep body and spirit in tune and at ARISE, we take health very seriously because you need to be in sound health to do anything tangible.

“The Arise Walk for Life is a place for everyone irrespective of status, tribe, religion or nationality; it is a place for all.”

This year’s Arise Walk for Life will be happening in clusters across different countries of the world, from Lagos, Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Singapore, etc.

Scheduled to hold on Saturday, October 16 with all adherence to guidelines of COVID-19 prevention protocols, this year’s walk themed #IChooseLife, will begin from 7.00am local time in all participating countries. Participants are to register their clusters on the Arise walk website.

“We are not coming out in large numbers; rather we are going to do the walk in clusters of not more than 25 persons. What that has done for us as Arise Walk for Life, is that we are able to go global.

“You can walk in your home, you can walk on your street, you can walk at your places of work, so you don’t need to come together in large numbers. And besides, coming together is not what will make you active.

“What makes you active is get off your seat, put on your shoes and begin to walk. So we are very aware of the COVID-19 Pandemic and we are not taking chances. We are very careful and we believe in preventive measures”, she noted.

Sounding a serious warning to everyone, she said, “We are walking once a year as a ceremony to kick-start the exercise, but please don’t walk once in a year. Walk all the time. Walk every time you have the opportunity – after you have missed your bus, begin to walk – make it a lifestyle and a pattern of living. I am making it a lifestyle and I enjoy walking because it improves my health.”

Iloyomade said further that Arise is an ideology and in a short span of time, making giant strides in areas of health, women and community empowerment with focus on 12 pillars out of United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adding that the impact of the organisation has been enormous.

“We are not afraid to go anywhere. We have been to the remotest place you can think of, we have used our legs to get the remotest places. We have gone there with healthcare practitioners who have helped us.

“We transit healthcare to people in their local language. It is important that they understand what we are trying to say. If I say walk, they would tell me they are suffering already so why do they have to walk again. So we need to bring it down to the language that they would understand.

“So, the impact is that more women and women are being put to work. We do not discriminate on gender or religion. All we do is that we are coming to put decency back in our society.”

She reminded that, as COVID-19 crisis has caused significant disruptions to many homes, The Arise Pink Bucket which contains food items, has helped to reduce economic hardship on low income families in the different villages spread across all states in Nigeria that Arise have visited.

Iluyomade urged participants of the Walk for life to create awareness for regular physical exercise and proper health check and particularly take the COVID-19 vaccines to curb the menace of the virus.

ARISE is a humanitarian and charitable organisation, which has been a great support system for women, their family and community by delivering care to the most vulnerable in the society through their mobile clinics – Arise hospitals, as well as donation of boreholes, medical reliefs and schools to mention a few.