Nairobi on Saturdays is full of movement and fitness activities and wellness hangouts. This weekend, I decided to venture beyond running.
Nairobi on any given Saturday is a fitness buff’s Sabbath. For a slowly growing legion of runners, cyclists, hikers and gym rats, it is a day of unabated spiritual renewal. If you are not one of these, then I bet it is a day to catch up on sleep, chores, or, if you have one of those fitness types as your friend, wonder why anyone in their right mind would subject themselves to such forms of torture.
I am one of those fitness types. My sabbath ritual is a long run.
Unless I have the Kids Lit Club (it happens every third Saturday of the month), I squeeze in a 5K or 10K early-morning run; I rarely let anything get in the way. I’ve tried a spin class and a hike in the past; neither comes close. If you don’t run, this will not make any sense.
So this last Saturday, I was quite conflicted about this Halloween Hangout Movement and Wellness shindig I had been invited to by Jasiri Sports Network. Early that morning, I was still on the fence, so I decided to go for an easy 5K run in my hood just in case this turned out to be more vibes and inshallah than fitness.
Held at Como in Tigoni, the hangout was one of the most refreshing wellness events I’ve attended in a while.
We began the day with some Yoga. While it helped that I always incorporate Yoga poses in my post-run static cool-downs, this session with Savannah was still quite intense. I stretched parts of my body I didn’t even know existed.
Next, the Nondescripts Rugby Club had a whole hour of warm-up, workout and team-building session planned. There was so much running, I truly believe the coach thought we were all retired roodge players.
Then came a game I was hearing about for the first time. Kho Kho. A traditional Indian sport that dates to ancient times. It is one of the most popular traditional tag games in the Indian subcontinent. Since 2020, the game, which involves running and tagging, has slowly been endearing itself to Kenyans both as a competitive sport and as a team-building activity.
Jasiri is building a sports community app still in development whose goal is to connect athletes, clubs, facilities, leagues, scouts, and communities through data, technology, and culture. Getting information about upcoming fitness events- what, when, and where to sign up- is always an extreme sport (pun intentionally intended). I am in over 10 WhatsApp groups, and that is never enough. We simply need a single source of information where anyone interested in any form of physical activity can get all the details they need to make a decision, sign up and pay (if applicable).
As my daughter and I left the green lushness of the Tigoni tea farms, our energy wells were empty but our hearts full.
For Nairobi’s pain-and-adrenaline-seeking folks, finding and signing up for activities could soon be all gain and no pain. (I just couldn’t help myself)