Tarkwa (W/R), June 30, -GNA-Hundreds of people on Saturday morning poured onto the streets of Tarkwa to take part in health and fitness walk organized by Tarkwa Keep Fit and Tourist Club. The participants started to converge by 0530 hours at Akyempim, a suburb of Tarkwa for the start of the 10-kilometre walk. From there, the participants walked through Bankyim, Tamso, Efuanta, Tarkwa main lorry station, Tarkwa Na Aboso, market circle and finally ended up at Astoria Nite Club where aerobic exercises were conducted by Supt. Slim Opoku Manford, Tarkwa District Police Commander. In a speech read on his behalf by Mr. Joshua Mensah of the National Sports Council, Mr. Prince Ernest Oduro-Mensah, Chief Executive, National Sports Council, said Ghana, in line with the UN's Sports for Development and Peace programme, adopted the slogan; "Sport for Life" which focused on undertaking selected activities and projects to promote the benefits of keeping fit through physical activity. He said, this was meant to build multi-stakeholder partnership in furtherance of sports for development and peace. Mr. Oduro-Mensah said ancient people who engaged in a constant hand-to-hand combat with the environment needed a strong body to stay alive.

Dr. Ebenezer Acquah, Medical Superintendent, Government Hospital, Tarkwa said deaths resulting from heart related diseases are alarming among age 40 upwards and exercising would stem this trend. He advised the people to practice good eating habit, saying that, going to bed shortly after meals did not help effective digestion and the food eventually turns to fats, which stays in the body to create health problems.

Dr. Acquah advised that one has to exercise for at least three times in a week, saying, "exercise is free but drugs are expensive.' Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Chairman, Tarkwa Keep fit and Tourist Club, mentioned lack of permanent training centre for exercises and lack of office and equipment as some of the problems facing the Club. He said the Club also needed land to build a sports complex and therefore appealed to companies, organizations and philanthropists to help the Club achieve its aim.