Healthy signs with fitness boom in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD — A rising number of people in Pakistan are swapping computer screens for the gym as an interest in healthy lifestyles takes hold in the country.
One of them is Uzair Ali, a successful software engineer turned fitness enthusiast, who said that “spending more than 10 hours or even more a day in front of the laptop is common, which I realized was not good for my health in the long term”.
“I have recently revolted against this unhealthy habit,” he added. “Now I try to use my laptop no more than eight hours a day. I have also joined a sports complex near my house in Islamabad where I play football with my friends after work. Leading a healthy lifestyle has positive impacts in my life, I feel more energetic and healthier now.”
Like Uzair Ali, more and more Pakistanis are taking an interest in leading a healthier lifestyle. This is mostly due to awareness created by the media and the Pakistani government’s health policies, which have made people change their eating and exercise habits.
There has also been an increase in demand for gyms and sports facilities in the country.
Recently, the government of eastern Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province and home to around 100 million people, have launched various sports projects worth 10 billion Pakistani rupees ($87 million).
The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month, according to Punjab Sports Sector Development Steering Committee Chairman Hanif Abbasi.
“Punjab government is utilizing maximum available resources for uplift projects to facilitate the citizens, besides constructing sports facilities in schools, colleges and on available government land so that the energies of male and female students could be channelized in a constructive way and right direction,” Abbasi said.
Over the last couple of years, like other cities, the country’s capital Islamabad has also witnessed a surge in the sports and fitness industry, with the opening and upgrading of several sports complexes.
Hameed-ul-Haq, a former captain and coach of Pakistan’s Davis Cup tennis team, said he approved of the move but hoped it was just the beginning.
“It is a good initiative and the government, with limited resources, can do much more by partnering with the public sector. In fact, the local governments in other cities across Pakistan should also follow this idea.” he said, adding that there is a lack of sports grounds and parks in other cities.
Local analysts believe that the rising health-consciousness trend in the country is beneficial for Pakistan’s people and economy, and thus should be encouraged.