Sports
THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Headquarters Chapel, Abuja, has emphasised the importance of regular exercise in promoting journalists’ health, mental well-being and productivity.
The Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mrs Hadiza Aliyu, stated this during a fitness walk organised by the chapel as part of activities marking its 2026 Press Week on Friday in Abuja.
Aliyu commended the chapel for introducing activities aimed at promoting members’ welfare, noting that the union had recorded significant improvement in its programmes over the past two to three years.
She said the activities organised during the press week, including a visit to the orphanage, a public lecture and health outreach, demonstrated the union’s commitment to the well-being of journalists and the society.
“I want to commend you for today’s activity, a health walk for journalists. You know as journalists, we are always in the office or maybe chasing one story or the other, especially the editors who are always on the desk.
“It is too much sedentary work, and we do not make out time to exercise, even though we know that exercise is essential for healthy living.
“I commend the union for organising the fitness walk, the lecture and a visit to the orphanage to mark the 2026 press week. I pray that other activities scheduled for the year also come to fruition, “she said.
Aliyu urged the chapel to sustain the initiatives, adding that activities beyond the traditional responsibilities of the union were necessary to improve journalists’ welfare and productivity.
She commended the agency’s Managing Director, Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, for maintaining a functional gymnasium with an instructor at the headquarters.
She said that the NAN boss encouraged staff members to go to the gym on Wednesday and Friday “to shake off the stress.”
Earlier, the Chairman of NUJ-NAN -Headquarters Chapel, Mr Collins Yakubu-Hammer, said the fitness walk was organised to mark the end of the press week and encourage journalists to prioritise their health.
He said the chapel believed that “a healthy journalist is a productive journalist”, stressing that regular physical activity was essential for improved performance in the workplace.
Yakubu-Hammer advised journalists to make exercise part of their daily routine, noting that some underlying health conditions could go unnoticed until they resulted in serious complications.
“Some people are suffering from high blood pressure or high or low blood sugar without knowing. Before you know what is happening, they collapse and die.
“You must not necessarily jog. You can take a 10 to 15-minute or 20-minute walk every day.
“As you continue, you will discover that even at old age, your legs will remain strong because you have been exercising them,” he said.
He added that regular exercise would enhance journalists’ physical and mental well-being and ultimately improve their productivity.
The Fitness Programme Coordinator, Mr Alamu Sunday, popularly known as Sonic Fit, said exercise was important for journalists because of the prolonged hours they spend sitting at work.
According to him, prolonged sitting could result in back pain and reduced body flexibility, while regular physical activity helps to keep the body active and improve work performance.
“When you shake up the body, that gives you some flexibility and enhances your productivity at work,” he said.
Also speaking, the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of NAN, Mrs Dorcas Jonah, said physical exercise helped journalists maintain good health and mental alertness.
Jonah noted that editors often spend between four and six hours sitting at their desks, making walking and jogging important ways of unwinding and maintaining physical fitness.
She urged journalists to participate in regular fitness activities, stressing that good health was necessary for effective thinking and professional performance.
“When you are healthy, you think well, you can work well and do a lot of things with ease. But when you are sick, you cannot even reason properly to do your job,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fitness walk featured walking, jogging, dancing and stretching exercises, bringing the chapel’s 2026 Press Week activities to a close.(NAN)
M.P
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