He uses exercise to relieve work stress

Without a doubt, law is a demanding profession that involves a lot of reading and research. Infact, Enoth Mugabi, a lawyer, says the intensive legal work sometimes takes its toll. “I am always interviewing clients, writing witness testimonies and answering phone calls. Sometimes I am forced to carry work home and it is only exercise that will distract me from the demanding work schedule,” he says.

In a week, Mugabi trains two or three times. However, on occasions where he is preparing for a marathon, he will train for either four or five times a week. “I love running but on other days, I swim or ride a bicycle,” he says.
Why he works with a fitness instructor
In order to easily achieve work out targets, Mugabi advises individuals to work under the guidance of a fitness instructor.
“It is not good to work out alone. Work alongside a trainer who will direct and advise you accordingly on the best exercises to do for your body type and your goal for working out,” he says.

For the past five years, Mugabi has been personally working out under the supervision of a fitness trainer, Lt Col (rtd) Bricks Diamond Sankara who manages Fitness 4 Life, a gym in Lugogo, a city suburb.

Part of Sankara’s fitness training sessions includes the military boot camp involving rigorous workout sessions including boxing, sit-ups, squats, and self-defense sessions, among others.

The 44-year-old says Sankara has been very instrumental in exposing him to a full body workout. “I have been lucky to complete a full marathon under his guardianship because of the intense workout sessions he conducts,” he says.

In addition, Mugabi says exercising has also helped him stay in shape and improved his body’s immunity to disease.

“I left law school about 18 years ago. However, today, if you compare me with former classmates, you may notice a huge difference. I look fitter and smaller than some of them. There are even those who complain of having ailments such as diabetes, high or low blood pressure, which I do not have, thanks to exercising,” Mugabi says.

His diet
Like most people who exercise, Mugabi also tends to watch his diet. In the past, the mushrooming bakeries around town always lured him to buying bread and other related wheat products. Also, he loved eating chapatti. “I came to realise that every time I eat these products, I bulged (added on weight),” he says. To tackle his weight issue, Mugabi toned down on wheat product intake, a routine that has helped him loose weight over the years.

Challenges
Mugabi says one of the biggest challenges he has faced is exposure to injuries. There are also body aches to consider that come with doing severe exercise routines.

“Last year I got a back injury that I had to miss working out for more than five weeks, and, since I was not going to the gym, I started gaining all the weight I had lost previously,” he says.
The other issue of exercising is that it at times comes with a cost, for instance, attending gym sessions. “Personally, I spend Shs20,000 on one training session in a day, an amount that many individuals interested in exercising cannot afford,” he says.

Despite the cost, Mugabi says he always finds a way of getting the money because he values the benefits that come from exercising.

Advice to others
Regardless of one’s job occupation, Mugabi advises individuals to always find time to do workouts as these have immense health benefits to the body. “The body needs to be kept active at all times. People who just sit there doing nothing are placing themselves on a pedestal of a ticking time bomb. Be vibrant. Doing something as simple as a walk can do wonders,” Mugabi concludes.