NAIROBI, March 11 (Xinhua) -- "One and two, one and two," the instructor shouted to a group of eight people at a fitness center in Kitengela, a suburb about 32 km south of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. His instructions were in rhythm with the fast-paced music playing in the background to motivate the trainees as they engaged in various exercises.
After about 10 minutes, the instructor switched from jumping jacks to push-ups, striving to ensure the group engaged in as many drills as possible to keep fit.
"This morning session usually lasts about two hours. In the evening, another group comes for a variety of exercises," John Okumu, the instructor, told Xinhua in a recent interview.
His gym is one of many in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya that serve hundreds of residents who have become fitness enthusiasts seeking to stay fit amid a rise in diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity due to sedentary lifestyles.
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Gyms have mushroomed throughout the city's suburbs and estates, thanks to a ready market of growing middle- and upper-class residents willing to pay a premium to stay fit.
Okumu, who studied commerce at university, said he turned to running a fitness business after failing to secure a good job two years after graduating.
"I was a fitness junkie even before I started my own business in 2020 when COVID-19 hit and most people were at home. I seized the opportunity to start the business after buying some used equipment with a loan," said Okumu.
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He started with two people and now has about 30 loyal clients. "The majority of them are women, and that is because many of them are body conscious," he explained.
Okumu charges a flat fee ranging from 300 Kenyan shillings (about 2.15 U.S. dollars) for a session to 50.1 dollars per month. Gym fees vary across Nairobi depending on location, type of client, and available equipment.
"I started working out two years ago after I had my second child. My body size increased, and I had to do something to regain my figure," said Julie Nderitu, an accountant at a government agency in Nairobi. She pays 61 dollars a month for the workout classes that involve aerobics, which she attends every night at a facility near her home in Umoja, east of Nairobi.
Daniel Mokua, a businessman who works out at a gym in downtown Nairobi, said he frequents the facility for better health because the sessions leave him stress-free and relaxed. "I mainly do cardio workouts. They help me build stamina and lose excess fat."
According to him, a gym is just like a health facility, where everyone who wants to stay healthy goes.
While most gyms in Kenya are run as private businesses, government institutions also offer the services -- some to keep their employees healthy, others for commercial purposes.
Okumu said the business has been profitable, with him recouping his investment after about a year.
However, he noted that it is capital intensive, as one needs a variety of equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, weights, and climbers to cater to and attract different clients. "Initially, we relied on used gym equipment from Europe and the United States, but these days there are brand new affordable machines from China in the market."
In addition to fitness exercises, gyms in Kenya also offer nutrition and dietary advice to members so that they know what to eat to stay healthy while they work out.
"Some of the advice I give is to eat foods that are high in fiber, which helps with digestion, eat lots of fruit, avoid or reduce foods high in saturated fat, and drink plenty of water. A good diet complements exercise," says Coleta Mutua, a nutritionist who consults at gyms.
To operate a gym, one needs a license from the local county government where the business is located and another from the Music Copyright Society of Kenya since the facilities play songs during sessions.