Mofit handles patients struggling with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, depression and bone or muscle problems like chronic back pain, a common problem among the working class.
Through exercises, health fitness specialists like Mr Oyuru are providing the missing link between patients and doctors.
This is a common practice in developed nations but in Kenya many patients are left at the mercy of unqualified gym instructors.
Arnold Oyuru was asthmatic and suffered from incessant chest pains and breathing complications throughout his childhood. He had to rely on an inhaler for a good night’s sleep.
When he finished high school, Mr Oyuru began jogging daily so as to join the Armed Forces.
“Even though the exercises didn’t get me into the army, they changed my life. I began sleeping well throughout the night, the asthma attacks reduced and I stopped relying on medication,” he says.
“And just like that, I decided that this is what I wanted to do in life; help people prevent, manage and treat health problems using physical exercises.”
He opened Mofit, a health fitness and wellness consulting firm six years ago and works with doctors who send patients struggling with obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, depression and bone or muscle problems like chronic back pain, a common problem among the working class.
Through exercises, health fitness specialists like Mr Oyuru are providing the missing link between patients and doctors. This is a common practice in developed nations but in Kenya many patients are left at the mercy of unqualified gym instructors.
“Patients usually waste a lot of time searching for gyms or trainers that understand their health problems since they don’t want to be subjected to harmful exercises,” Mr Oyuru told BDLife at his fitness studio in Westlands, Nairobi.
Dr Charles Kamotho, a Nairobi-based consultant cardiologist who works with Mr Oyuru says that most patients tend to rely solely on medication to manage diseases, yet exercises play an integral part in healing and disease prevention.
‘‘To manage or prevent cardiovascular ailments such as heart problems and hypertension, aerobics are good exercises for the heart and lungs whilst helping to lower cholesterol and blood pressure,’’ he says.
Aerobics refer to any form of continuous physical activity such as running, swimming or cycling. They elevate the breathing and heart rates.
But to prevent damage to the heart, Dr Kamotho says that aerobic exercises should only increase a people’s heart rate to between 60 and 80 per cent of their maximum heart rate (calculated by subtracting one’s age from 220).
Overweight people
For patients with advanced hypertension or heart disease, high-intensity exercises are not recommended.
“Such people need to be treated and put on medication to stabilise their condition before they are gradually introduced to exercises. And that’s why it’s good to have your heart and blood pressure checked before beginning a fitness programme,” he says.
By exercising, Mr Oyuru says obese people rapidly reduce weight preventing diseases linked to the condition like diabetes, cancer, heart disease and hypertension.
To lose weight in the right way, the patients first undergo a body fat analysis test to determine the fat content.
Weighing machines usually offer misleading results as they calculate people’s weight by incorporating not only the fat but also the muscle, bone and water in the body.
“In obesity, it’s the fat that is the problem and not the other things. So exercises should specifically target that.” When done in the wrong way, exercises make patients lose muscle or just body fluid which isn’t helpful as it won’t solve the problem,” he says, adding that exercise is combined with the right diet.
“You need to consume fewer calories compared to what you burn.”
Due to sedentary lifestyles and bad posture while sitting, walking or lifting objects, many Kenyans suffer from muscle and bone complications that often come in the form of back pain.
Most people rely on pain killers, muscle relaxing medications or physiotherapy sessions that offer short-term relief.
Nelly Mukami says that she suffered from a serious back problem in 2015. Aside from swelling legs and hurting knees, the pain caused sleeping and walking difficulties.
“The drugs weren’t working. I began working out with Mofit trainers and as I strengthened my abdominal muscles, my spine became aligned properly. And soon all my problems were over. Now am even wearing heels,’’ she says.
According to the health fitness expert, lower back pains are caused by weak abdominal muscles after years of bad posture.
‘‘So there’s no shortcut to the problem. For the discomfort to go away completely, address the root cause by engaging in regular physical activities that strengthen the weak muscles.”
Lower back pain
Do squats, half push-ups and chest press exercises that are gentle but effective at muscle strengthening.
As for outdoor activities, Mr Oyuru notes that swimming is the safest exercise as the water buoyancy puts pressure off the back.
For people with type 2 diabetes, Mr Oyuru says regular exercises assist their bodies to become more sensitive to insulin which helps in blood sugar control.
But since their blood glucose levels tend to fluctuate frequently, he adds that these patients need tailor-made exercises that will not drain their energy.
To keep their energy levels steady, diabetics should always carry healthy sugary snacks like bananas which they can eat in between exercises.
For cancer patients, studies have shown that yoga exercises hasten the healing process whilst tackling anxiety and depression.
For those recovering from surgery such as mastectomy for breast cancer treatment, yoga restores motion and flexibility in a gentle manner. It also helps rid the body of harmful toxins after chemotherapy.
