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Innocent Choga : Fitness

Sometimes we fail to get into shape because we have not come across desirable activities that appeal to us.So many times I have heard people saying they have stopped exercising because they do not like the activities that they were participating in. But I now would like to believe that is just an excuse or lack of knowledge about the many activities that we have in this country.A few weeks back I received an invitation from two friends Cornelius Piroro, a soccer coach and Andrew Kwirirai a marathon runner and coach inviting me to attend a level one coaching and umpiring course in badminton. I was not even aware of what badminton was and what it involved. I was hesitant at first, but my passion for sport and exercise got the better of me and I decided to find out what sort of benefit an individual would derive out of it in terms of fitness.

Although I have vaguely heard of badminton being an international sport, I was surprised that such an activity existed in Zimbabwe yet I was not aware of it. I am sure I am not the only one. A total of 98 individuals attained Level One certificate, most of them students at the Belvedere Teachers College. My friends and I were honoured to be among them.

I think the lack of popularity of badminton, my lack of knowledge about it and ignorance made me think of the sport as a low impact soft sport with little physical fitness benefits. But after a getting to know the game I realised what wonderful activity badminton is and how it can actually assist people to get into shape.

This game involves all the performance components, like speed which encompasses reaction time and timing, strength, power, flexibility, co-ordination, balance and agility. The game is not only ideal to aspiring athletes who want to do it competitively, but it is also good for persons who want to do it for fitness and weight loss. It is also ideal for athletes who want to cross train and sharpen their various fitness components in order to have an advantage over their opponents.

After the general and specific warm up I was already sweating. After the duration of the course, I was unexpectedly physically exhausted and I spent the following few days nursing some pains and aches as a result of participating in this activity which was new to my body.

The activity itself is exciting and the coaches did not need to force the participants to play but we just found ourselves wanting to play and enjoying hitting the shuttlecock with all our might, since the feathered shuttle needs the application of full force for it to travel lengthy distances. It is light so it can travel at a very high speed but will never hurt anyone.

One has to apply full strength and power to propel it to greater distances. Strength and power can be derived from the legs. In such cases the hitting hand just taps the shuttle with the racquet as the force is provided by the lunging legs.

The volatile behaviour of the feathered shuttle presents part of the fun. For us beginners, determining the trajectory of the shuttle was an exciting challenge.

The equipment is user friendly. Just like the shuttle, the racket is also very light; much lighter and smaller than the tennis racket and therefore it is easy to handle and convenient in the application of full force.

A player has to and is able to twist the midsection and move the rest of the body in a full range of motion to quickly apply the required force in an effort to catch the opponent off guard. There is also some fancy footwork involved.

Combining the footwork and the technique in hitting the shuttle requires co-ordination and balance.

I had a chat with Rafik Alfonso, who is the deputy technical director of the Badminton Association of Zimbabwe and who also happened to be one of the trainers at this event, along with Paul Kopolo and other coaches. Paul Kopolo is the vice president and he is also the current National Badminton Champion. Kopolo justified his number one status by mesmerising the participants with his unique skills.

Alfonso said he fell in love with the game after having been introduced to badminton by his friend Paul Kopolo. Both Alfonso and Kopolo did their high school at Ellis Robbins School, but Kopolo was a stream ahead. The articulate Alfonso who is aged 27 said coaching is a natural part of him, it is in his blood. He has participated in the Botswana International competition in 2010, the Zimbabwe International in 2011 and the All Africa Championship in 2014.

Alfonso said the game requires and enables players to acquire speed, endurance, flexibility and strength. They train with light weights to attain the force that is needed to “smash” the shuttle.

They also do a lot of lunges because part of all the movements in badminton end up with a lunge stance. The required footwork is very demanding on the legs and mobility training is also a must as they move a lot around the small court.

There is also need to do flexibility exercises to maintain dynamic flexibility which is required for the full range of motion movements when reaching up and out with the racquet.

Wrist training is also necessary because the wrist is heavily involved. The wrist should be flexible. Flexibility training in all aspects is necessary to avoid injuries. According to Alfonso some players cross train with weights to gain strength.

Alfonso admitted that the game is not very popular in Zimbabwe, although it was introduced a long time ago. It is played all over the world and it is very popular in Asia and Europe, continents that dominate the sport in competitions.

He said efforts are in the pipeline to introduce the project “Shuttle Time”. This project involves spreading the game to school children, but the main focus at the moment is on training teachers to help in coaching the children.

One thing that I noticed is that Alfonso, Kopolo and their team of coaches are lean when it comes to body composition. They all have athletic built physiques which can obviously be attributed to the game of badminton.

So I would like to think children taking up this sport will never have to worry about weight problems as long as they continue to play all their lives.

According to the Alfonso, badminton has the style that is adaptable to the needs of the participants. Thus the sport has the potential to grow as it gives participants an opportunity for lifelong participation by enhancing physical health and fitness.

Alfonso also said Badminton clubs can be found at the Standard Chartered Sports Club corner Second Street and Harare Drive, Sunrise Sports Club and Goan Sports Club both in Belvedere and the Air Force base in Manyame and in Chegutu. I hope efforts will be made to reach out to disadvantaged communities.

The food factor

This week we would like to discuss how minerals assist us in our quest to get fit and how they enable us to participate effectively in exercise and sporting activities like badminton. Minerals are said to make up four to five percent of our body weight, and all of our body tissues including nerve cells and bones are made up of minerals.

Minerals are classified as macro minerals and trace minerals. Macro minerals are present in our systems in large quantities and trace minerals occur in smaller amounts. Macro minerals comprise of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride and potassium. Trace minerals include iron, zinc, iodine, manganese, copper, selenium, molybdenum, chromium and fluorine.

Minerals like calcium strengthen our bones and helps in maintaining body functions processes. Sportspersons cherish strong bones and an adequate supply of relevant minerals aid in fast recovery after training as well as after getting injured.

This also helps in strengthening our bones, lessening the extent of damages in the event of one incurring injuries.

Our reaction time and speed is also determined by the adequacy and balanced supply of minerals. These also help in the maintenance of properly balanced acid and alkaline ratio and also in the maintenance of chemicals in and out of our bodies necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Minerals assist in the formation of antibodies. Minerals such as zinc, magnesium and selenium assist in strengthening our immune system and protecting our bodies from harm.

Individuals who exercise tend to lose minerals during performance therefore an extra supply of minerals is necessary to help us repair and rebuild our cells.

Calcium is also required to assist two proteins in the contraction of muscles during exercises or sports performances.

Herbal expert Mac Mukadam of Health and All marvels at the ingenuity of our ancestors especially when it comes to the use of food and herbs as medicinal instruments.

As an example he says the fact that our ancestors used to eat a lot of pumpkin seeds was not due to lack of food, it means they knew that the seeds contain zinc.

Zinc is a mineral that Mukadam cited as lacking in our diets these days resulting in compromised immune systems and weakened reproductive systems.

Experts have also cited female athletes as having greater chances of lacking zinc.

Zinc deficiency is said to negatively affect physical performances as it affects muscle strength, the cardiorespiratory system and therefore endurance.

The differences in athletic performances in the present day are related to increased levels of fitness of which diet plays an important role.

Adequate, optimum nutrition and rest creates a perfect body and mind relationship. The ability to concentrate when we exercise and the enjoyment of these exercises relies on this unity. This unity creates perfect moods and thereby the attainment of peak performances during exercises/sport matches and improved health and appearance.

Email: [email protected] Innocent Choga is a six time National Bodybuilding Champion with international experience. He is studying for a science degree in Physical Education and Sport