Young people in Makhanda are making moves towards becoming happier and healthier through exercise. Up to 40 learners between the ages of 6 and 18 have been attending weekly Aerobics sessions at the High Performance Centre in Joza. The Joza Aerobics Community Engagement initiative, is a collaborative effort led by the Dioscean School for Girls with support from the Human Kinetics and Ergonomics Department at Rhodes University, the Rhodes Health Suite and the Rotary Club of Grahamstown.
Joza Aerobics aims to promote physical well-being, confidence, and positive social interaction among school learners using regular, structured exercise sessions.
Aerobics combines cardio with stretching and strength training to improve flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness).
Since the start of the project in January, the response from the community has been positive. Learners have attended the sessions and comprise young people from schools across Makhanda.
“For many of the pupils who attend these weekly sessions, this has been their first experience of participating in an organised physical wellness activity: we believe that the growth in attendance over the weeks is testament to their enjoyment and appreciation of it,” says Lindsay Davy from DSG.
Two qualified Matric instructors from DSG have facilitated the sessions and instructors from the Rhodes Health Suite have also come on board. The Health Suite instructors have also been efficient community liaisons and a driving force behind getting word of these sessions out into the community, and getting kids from the community to come to sessions regularly.
“The sessions have been relaxed and inclusive but have also seen really nice progression over the term - with many of the pupils becoming pretty competent at aerobic steps and very quickly learning new and more complex routines,” says Mrs Davy.
For DSG, this project provides a meaningful avenue for their girls and the staff who accompany them to connect with the broader community. The hope is that this initiative creates opportunities for leadership within their instructors, and a sense of shared purpose through shared exercise sessions.
The long-term dream is that young girls who attend these classes regularly over the coming terms (and years) can have the opportunity to join our instructor qualification program and have the opportunity to gain a certified qualification that allows them to teach within the community and further afield.
Rotary also contributed to the project by purchasing aerobic steps
“Building relationships is key to community engagement and I am sure there are many special stories to tell of personal development amongst all the children participating,” notes Di Hornby, Director of Rhodes University Community Engagement. “Meaningful social change comes about over time and one can begin to recognise impact in the numbers that attend weekly.”