*Courtesy http://www.abujafood.com/lifestyle/health-a-fitness/876-5-easy-ways-to-stay-fit-and-healthy-in-abuja.html*

Like must developing cities in Africa, Abuja is not pedestrian friendly. Some roads don't have easily accessible pavements and the heat especially in dry season, is very discouraging. This sedentary lifestyle makes it very easy to add pounds to our weight and inches to our waist line. The weight can creep up on you if you don't consciously make an effort to live a healthier lifestyle. Thankfully, Abuja does have a few options for individuals who want to improve on their health or simply get fit. Below are a few easy ways you can achieve this in Abuja;

Eat Lots of Fruit

Eating healthy in Abuja can be expensive. Salads especially can be quite expensive at upscale restaurants. Thankfully, Fresh exotic fruit are easily available in Abuja. This is due to its close proximity to Jos where most of the fruit is transported from. Pineapples, Paupau, Apples, Water Melons, Oranges and even grapes can be bought at some street corners, supermarkets and the main markets at good prices, if you bargain well enough. Abuja also has quality fruit bars such as Smoothie Parlor and Juice Place 2 in the Wuse district. You can grab yourself a smoothie for about N500 upwards. Succo Naturale, a juicing company also conveniently delivers fresh juice to your home or office to ensure that all you avid 'Juicers' out there are supplied. A good diet is the main source of good health, and there's no better way to do this than dieting on fresh fruit.

Join a Gym

The Gym is the universal tried and tested way to not only loose weight but improve fitness and health. Here in Abuja, there are numerous gyms on offer especially in the central parts of town. From the modest type with a few treadmills and weights to the luxury lifestyle gyms complete with health restuarant, pool and Jacuzzi. Gym membership in Abuja is usually divided up into monthly, quarterly and yearly programs. The price of membership can range beteen N20,000 Naira a month to N80,000. If you have the disposable income and the time, by all means, Join a gym!

Go Outdoors

Abuja is known for its many parks and gardens. Add the open space with good weather and you have perfect ourdoor work out conditions. The great thing about the great outdoors is that its free. The bad thing is that you may have to share the great outdoors with everyone else. There simply is no privacy. A great tip to avoid funny stares while you workout outside is to go out in the early mornings and weekends where you can maintain somekind of privacy. Durban- Riverplate park in Wuse 2, just off Ahmadu Bello way is a great park to do some walking or jogging. A good outdoor exercise program like walking 30 minutes to 1 hour daily can help burn useless body fats and improve blood circulation.

Join a Dance Class

Dancing is perhaps one of the most poular ways to enjoy oneself but also stay fit and healthy. Nigerians especially love to dance for no reason at all. Abuja has a few dance classes on offer such as Salsa and Zumba dance class that have grown in popularity over the years. Dancing like any other type of excersise helps improve blood circulation and weight loss. Zumba dance classes usually hold in Maitama Amusement Park from Monday to Friday..

Join a sports club

We can all recall old school days when we were part of a sports team such as basketball, football, netball and more. In Abuja you can easily start your own sports club with your friends or join pre-existing ones. The sports clubs on offer are usually informal so you have to do alot of asking around to find out about locations and times. Trust us, it's all worth the hassle when you start to improve on your health and fitness, meet new people and have fun at the same time.