Trainer gives free exercise classes to seniors
WHEN personal trainer and media personality Phumlani Dube starts his Monday workout session, he goes gently.
These clients need a softer approach.
Dube recently started an exercise-training programme aimed at senior citizens, and the free classes are growing by the week.
“This initiative is very special to me since my own mother died from high blood pressure in 2016 and my father from cardiac arrest seven years ago,” Dube said.
“This programme is important for a healthier society because if you are healthier, you live longer. Exercise is important for maintaining muscle strength and improving brittle bones in older people.
“Some of the other health benefits for pensioners associated with regular exercise include increased strength and flexibility, as well as a reduced risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.”
Dube is well known in the province. He has presented and produced on various radio stations, including East Coast Radio, Vuma FM and Gagasi FM, and is also a professional boxing-ring announcer. He trains DJ Tira and artists under the Afrotainment label.
The training programme for older citizens includes cardio and functional workouts, and is held at 10am every Monday in an open space along the Victoria Embankment in Durban.
“We would love for the sessions to grow to a daily offering, because the elderly are interested in getting out and getting physical. We see many elderly people who sit at home alone.
They are isolated. Coming to the workout session is not only good for their physical health, but also helps them emotionally because they are able to speak to others, especially to those in their age range.”
In the programme, the youngest person is 60 years old and the oldest is 81.
Dube also runs training classes at The Playhouse.
“For me, exercise is everything,” he said.