JEDDAH: Mohamed Ghaleb Al-Sharif is one of the many people in Jeddah using the city’s paths and walkways to improve their health and fitness levels. He also tops up his activity level with a workout.
“The late afternoon and until sunset is the best time for me to walk for an hour,” Al-Sharif said. “After that I use the gym equipment provided by the municipality which I say needs to be looked after and not tampered with so that it remains available for everyone.”
The paths are much more than walkways as they offer gym equipment, as well as dedicated areas for parking, picnics and playgrounds. The combined length of Jeddah’s 23 paths is almost 50,000 meters. The longest is the Jeddah Waterfront pedestrian path, which is 4.5 km long and has a width of 10 meters.
The spokesman for the municipality of Jeddah, Mohammed Al-Baqmi, said the pedestrian paths were among the projects seeking to improve the quality of life, enhance public health, and provide better services to residents and visitors.
He said the paths encouraged walking and increasing people’s exercise rates. Three new paths were being developed in Al-Quraniyah, Al-Yaqoot and Al-Harazat districts in Jeddah.
Al-Baqmi added that rubber was being included in the materials used when building the pedestrian paths, in addition to speed bumps being set up on the surrounding streets to slow passing vehicles. He explained that the municipality had been keen to free paths of obstacles, and to install inclines and signage.
The municipality had been careful not to install manhole covers or sewers on the pedestrian paths and sidewalks. “When it was necessary to install these, the openings were made horizontal and designed in a way that does not impede the movement of wheelchairs.”
Cardiologist Dr. Mohamed Refaat said walking was one of the best exercises available and an important way of preventing rheumatic and joint diseases.
He said outdoor walking, where higher rates of oxygen are available, was much better than using treadmills. But he warned against walking outdoors in hot weather especially since sweating aided neither weight loss nor fat burning.
“Walking also reduces body fat, lowers the heart rate at rest, decreases cholesterol levels in the blood, and helps maintain fitness,” he said. “People who walk on a daily or regular basis will not gain weight or become obese, as opposed to people who do not walk or exercise in general.”
He added that walking supported and improved brain functions.
Badriya Omar Ahmed said: “Walking is one of my favorite exercises because it is easy and has many health benefits. These paths are a civilized addition that adorn the façade of the city and encourage people to practice this kind of exercise, which improves physical and mental health.”
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