The National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) has announced plans to organise aerobic exercise sessions every three months to promote healthy living and physical activity among Nigerian women.
The National President of NCWS, Princess Edna Azura, said this on Thursday in Abuja during an aerobic exercise organised by the council for members and affiliated groups.
Azura said the initiative was prompted by the need for women to adopt healthier lifestyles, particularly as changing dietary habits and inadequate physical activity contributed to poor health outcomes.
She urged Nigerian women, especially older women, to embrace regular exercise as part of their daily routines, emphasising that physical activity was essential for maintaining health and overall wellbeing.
“I just feel that in this dispensation, we eat lots of things that are making us unhealthy, and naturally, Nigerian women, especially the older ones, are not used to sports.
“So, I felt it is high time we join this race so that we live healthy,” she said.
Azura said the council would encourage its state presidents to replicate the exercise during their meetings and extend the initiative to local government areas and ward levels.
She said the initiative was expected to promote a culture of physical activity among women across the country and encourage healthier lifestyles within communities.
“The 774 local government areas and the ward levels should emulate it. We should imbibe the spirit of sports,” she said.
The NCWS president also said the council would continue discussions on peace, security and democracy, noting the importance of security to peaceful coexistence, particularly as the country prepares for elections.
The National Secretary of NCWS, Dr Bolatito Babalola-Alabi, said the exercise left her feeling “light and happy,” adding that the activity made her day and improved her wellbeing.
Babalola-Alabi said that women often carried heavy responsibilities and needed activities that would help them relax, refresh themselves and maintain their physical and mental wellbeing.
Similarly, Mrs Selena Ali, President of the NCWS Plateau Branch, said the exercise made her feel healthier and would be incorporated into the branch’s meetings.
Ali said the initiative would be taken to the state level to enable more women to participate, enjoy physical activity and improve their overall health and wellbeing.
Also speaking, Princess Ada Amam, an affiliate member, described the exercise as beneficial to women and pledged to replicate the initiative among members and affiliated groups.
Amam said the session demonstrated the importance of combining regular exercise with healthy eating, particularly for women at different stages of life, including after childbearing and during menopause.
It was reported that the exercise brought together NCWS members and affiliates in an effort to encourage women to make physical activity and healthy living part of their daily routines.
