The Importance of Physical Fitness in the Black Community

By Lindiwe Vilakazi | The Washington Informer | Word In Black (WIB) – National Physical Fitness and Sports Month highlights the importance of physical activity to achieve and maintain a balanced well-being.  While good health is a standard goal for all, health statistics show that African Americans suffer alarming disparities of several chronic conditions, underscoring the importance of educational resources and access to physical fitness and training in Black communities. Black Americans have some of the highest risks of developing several chronic diseases in comparison to their white counterparts, specifically regarding heart disease, stroke, asthma, and various types of cancer.& Further, Black women represent a disproportionate percentage of health diagnoses including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.& “Notwithstanding the enormous benefits of physical activity, Black/African-American women are more likely to be less physically active than their white counterparts,” according to the& National Library of Medicine. “About 38% of non-Hispanic Black women against 23% of non-Hispanic white women had reported little or no participation in leisure-time physical activity.& As a consequence, this population is burdened with high risk and prevalence of chronic diseases.” The adverse pattern of inactivity has even affected today’s youth as experts show young people are more occupied with...