Safety first before health?

BRUNEIANS enjoy being part of a community. They especially enjoy doing things together. Go to the beaches around Brunei on a weekend and one can see groups of families barbecuing or splashing in the waters.

It's not difficult to get us to live a healthy lifestyle, to fit in 30 minutes of exercise a week - as long as we are doing it together, with friends or family. Then, exercise can seem painless. The HSBC Walk, Run, Cycle event held recently saw the participation of 10,000 participants.

Our parks are also filled with people during the weekend doing Tai Chi or taking a leisurely walk. Our country is blessed with urban parks that are easily accessible, such as the Tasek Lama recreational park and a few kilometres out of the capital, there is the Bukit Shahbandar recreational park.

Nature gives us fresh air and green canopies that shade us as we stretch our legs or test our endurance running up and down the hilly terrain. So why are we endangering ourselves by jogging on the side of the roads? A reader who wrote to us a few days ago highlighted the safety issue at a popular venue for joggers - the National Stadium in Berakas.

Jimmy Kuneer wrote: "I was extremely surprised to discover two things. One, despite being widely known as a popular running and jogging area, those driving their cars in and around the area do so at terrifying speed." He also wrote that some members of the public jog on the busy side of the road to avoid open drains for fear of falling into them, and risk being hit by a speeding car.

In the quest to achieve good health, we should not forget safety. Just because a place is popular, does not mean it's safe. Before we follow the crowd, let's think. Is the side of a busy road suitable for jogging? We have so many places in this country of ours that are more conducive for exercising, especially if we want to do it with our family, including small children. Let's think before we act. Let's stay healthy and safe.