Recognizing that the concept and idea of living a healthy lifestyle is not very popular among the citizens of Mokokchung, one of the organizers and a youth pastor, Imkummeren, who is also a client of the Wellness 10:31 Gym, stated that they decided to come together in order to raise awareness about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
“The irony is that people spend a lot of money on junk food, yet when it comes to fitness, we are laid back. Furthermore, people have the misconception that fitness is about having large muscles and frequently forget that it is about living a healthy lifestyle in which exercise is highly important and contributes to mental fitness. As a result, we hope that this will act as an awareness campaign,” Meren explained, adding how this challenge charges no registration fee.
“This is not a competition for strongmen or core-trainers. It’s for everyday individuals who want to see their fitness level, such as skipping,” Alem explained.
Recalling how people used to skip for joy as children but now a teenager can’t skip 50 times in a row, Alem hopes to open people’s eyes to understand where they’re heading and how they’re keeping their bodies healthy.
“It all boils down to what we consume and our lifestyle choices. The exercises we’ll do on January 5 are really basic. We hope that it will serve as an eye opener for everyone participating, and that people would think, “Even this simple thing I can’t do?” Alem said.
According to Meren, about 20-30 people have registered for the competition which they consider as a large number given how little the community is aware of it.
Meren also described why he believes Wellness 10:31 Gym is unique.
“One of the best things is our trainer Vin is well-trained and is an internationally acclaimed fitness instructor,” he said. “He has the whole fitness certificate, although Mokokchung does not have a fitness coach.”
“Second, he is also a therapist, but what distinguishes the gym is that they provide personal training in addition to massage therapy after the exercise.”
“Third, they both have theological training. They participate in our everyday activities and have a variety of experiences, and the gym makes you feel like a family,” Meren remarked, adding that his health problem improved with the help of the gym’s personal training.