Participants at the seminar

By Amaechi Agbo

A sports group, A Team, in collaboration with the FCT Football Association, Monday organised a health awareness seminar for the FCT coaches.

 The Health Wellness Seminar was put together to create a medical awareness outreach billed to cater for the health challenges of the coaches in the federal capital.

Explaining the importance of good health practice as well as exercise to the body, a consultant physiotherapist, Babawemimo Felix advised the coaches to ensure moderation in the amount and type of food they eat as well as life style stressing that “The kind of life style you live, determines your live span.”

He emphasised on the need for the coaches to find a mechanism on how to control their emotions especially when tension is high due to players not playing according instructions or when expected result is not forthcoming during a match. To this end, he advised them to always take deep breath as many times as possible to calm down their nerves.

Mr Babawemimo also advised the coaches to engage in regular exercise and go for regular medical check. “It is always necessary to know the state of your body system. It will help you to detect early issues that may impair your activeness and live longer, stronger, fitter and fuller live,” he said.

Also while delivering lecture on diets, a dietician, Calista Mba, explained that to maintain a proper body shape, it was necessary that the participants understood their body types and what are necessary to keep them in proper shape.

She explained the three types of body such as Ectomorph: Lean and long, with difficulty building muscle. Endomorph: big, high body fat, often pear-shaped, with a high tendency to store body fat. Mesomorph which is muscular and well-built, with a high metabolism and responsive muscle cells.

“As a result, one should know the kind of diets to take. To reduce fat, know the amount of calorie you consume per day. You must learn to eat clean and right.

“Never replace your food with supplement even if you want to reduce weight. When you are not eating nutritiously, it reflects on your health such as colour change, breaking of hair, etc. Always take a balanced diet even when you are taking supplement. Going hungry or starving yourself because you want to lose weight is dangerous because it could lead to ulcer.

“If you want to live a healthier life, moderation is key. Anything excess is dangerous. You should be able to know your vitamins. Once you know your body type, you should be able to know the vitamin that fits you.

“Your eating habit will affect you and it has both short and long term implications. But whatever you eat or do, you should know that your life is in your hands,” she said

She advised the coaches to stay away from soft drinks and beer instead take red wine and fruits and be disciplined to be the master of their body systems.

Some of the coaches who spoke to our correspondent commended the A Team and the FCT FA for coming up with the seminar and promised to implement all what they have learnt.

The Coaches Health and Wellness Seminar was organised by a group, A Team, made up sports journalists from the popular Cool/Wazobia/Nigeria Info Fm Station, Abuja led by Chris Molokwu in conjunction with the FCT Football Association.