The Alumni Association of Jibowu High School (JHS) Lagos has charged Nigerians to prioritise regular body exercise to keep fit and ensure longevity. The group argued that such activities improve physical and mental health while fostering social connections in the society.

The President, Mr. Teriba Adeboye, gave the charge at a four-kilometre health and fitness walk organised by the association.

The fitness walk started from the school through Herbert Macaulay road beside the pedestrian bridge down to Ikorodu road, Shiro Street, Akinsoji Street, Morocco, Isaac John, Fadeyi Round about and ended at the School premises.

Speaking on the objectives of the fitness walk, Adeboye disclosed that it aimed at bringing all alumni under one umbrella to promote health and physical fitness, foster unity, fellowship and shared purpose as well as raise support for sustainable educational initiatives.

He said the association is raising awareness about the need for people to prioritise preventive measures against hypertension, cardiovascular challenges, and diabetics, which are prevailing health challenges among colleagues. He added that early detection of ailments will help to alleviate and manage such situations.

“As the saying goes” a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Ensuring healthy alumni is our ultimate desire. We hope to support sustainable educational initiatives and make it a lasting legacy,” he said.

Adeboye said what has been learnt lately, is that as long as people keep their leg working, to a large extent, the whole of your body will be healthy.

“Why we tag this health walk, to a large extent, is that we have to continue to walk. Walking will help us to remain fit as much as possible. We have to continue to walk to remain healthy and there are plans to make this an annual event.

Healthy living and exercise as well will help sustain your health as well.”

He disclosed that the association partnered with some health institutions, who provided pharmaceutical drugs to help provide for members.

“All of us are getting to those thresholds in terms of age, that we need quite a lot of attention to our health and well-being. So, we now come up with the idea and opportunity for everybody to converge in the school and also use the opportunity to have first-hand assessment of the situation of the state of the school. So, we tie it to health fitness walk, and sustainable education, hosting the start and finish within the school premises,” Adeboye said.

Also speaking, the immediate past president of the association, Tosin Kadiri, an estate surveyor and valuer, said there is need to encourage the society and members of the association to attend to their health with all seriousness.

“We are facing a lot of challenges in the world today and there’s a tendency for every one of us to neglect adequate attention to what is required to take good care of our health. Health walk is to promote health and to fully promote physical activities for our members. You’ll be surprised that some of them have not done this kind of activity in the last couple of months or even one year. Ordinarily, this is something that we are expected to like five times a week.

“If you have not done it for months or even years, you can imagine the kind of havoc you are causing to your health. When you are talking about education, it is the bedrock, and the foundation of any society. In as much as we are undertaking this health walk, we are equally using the opportunity to promote education and need for us to equally take our education seriously,” he said.

Kadiri urged Nigerians to give back to the society, and the school they graduated from, towards moving the society forward.