The Spark Magazine (Jun 2018)

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The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve www.thesparkng.com Recreation in Sports In an era of extreme workplace stress, constant traffic and environmental pollution, inactive lifestyle as well as challenges of raising a family in a bustling African city like Lagos, recreation becomes an absolute necessity to provide that much needed balance for relaxation and social development. - By Moyo Ogunseinde As an Architect/Developer as well as a gymnastics mom, I came to realise the powerful effect of having a purposebuilt space where children, parents and friends could come together in the pursuit of various physical activities that enhance their lifestyle. The “need to do something for recreation” is a fundamental element of human biology and psychology and without it, life certainly starts to lack meaning and pleasure, leading to an overall decline in well-being. When you bond with friends, co-workers, and family over a dodge ball or a football game, it comes with a myriad of benefits. This type of recreation increases feelings of well-being, decreases stress, blood pressure and incidents of life-threatening diseases and reduced truancy amongst the youth. A recent study showed that creating and promoting spaces to be physically active will improve individual and community health and result in an increase of residents who exercise at least three times per week with potential future sports champions being identified as well. These activities allow families to uniquely experience a more fulfilling life thus creating a whole generation of Children and a powerful vehicle for positive change in West Africa’s communities. We truly believe every African child has a right to live an ‘upbeat Life’ that’s well-balanced and through our guidance and mentorship, their dreams can be realized, improving the lives of communities that they live in, now and in the future. So at Upbeat, we essentially aim to be a light house or beacon – shining the torch on social responsibility, whilst educating our community about health, nutrition, physical activity, mental health and general wellbeing. Without a doubt, I would say we need more Upbeat Spaces all over Nigeria and not only in Lagos, to truly foster a lasting culture of health and wellbeing. This is where a recreation centre such as ours, Upbeat recreation centre comes in. The Upbeat vision is to change the name of the game in recreational spaces, it is our imperative. As West Africa’s first Trampoline and recreation centre, we have been set up to provide this alternative lifestyle space that would positively impact and enhance the lives of families, children and communities in Africa. Essentially, we are filling the gap in the community for world class ground-breaking, fun and fitness sports centres that would engender fun, energy, innovation, excellence and safety with the brand values. Imagine a community where a family, a work team, a group of friends can go destress, work up a sweat, and create indelible memories, with the added bonus of creating long lasting impression and true appreciation for the relationships and time spent together in a high performance world class facility. We have been able to provide the community a sense of belonging, pride and cohesion; creating opportunities for gatherings that go beyond age, gender and ability, thus adding value to the Lagos recreational space while thankfully, also exceeding our investments and revenue projections as envisioned during project feasibility. In line with Lagos States mandate ‘to provide enduring infrastructural architecture that would ensure that the State’s tourism potentials are fully harnessed for all round economic growth and development’, Upbeat also serves as a viable tourist attraction for the state, given its wide range of awesome activities which include toddler time jumps, to group exercise, football and basketball leagues, trampoline free play, and wall climbing, Crazy karts etc. More on mental health? Send us your questions. See page 33 18 @thesparkng
www.thesparkng.com The Spark | Ignite/Connect/Achieve At The Bridge Depression is real and like all other illnesses, should not be kept under wraps but treated. - By Chisom Martin Ojukwu 110km/h. That’s was the speed I was on that night, on Eko Bridge. Time was somewhere between 23:30 HRS and midnight, and I was going from Victoria Island to Surulere – a daily ritual. You know what else was a ritual? The lateness of the hour, the tiredness in my bones slowly seeping into my eyelids, and the heaviness in my heart. I was fatigued, in body and soul. I worked so hard, every day, at a job I didn’t like. I knew the things I wanted to do – to write, to speak, to act, to sing, to dance … to be free. But I couldn’t do those because they weren’t as financially secure as the 9 to 5. They were not ‘stable’. Sound familiar? Somewhere on that stretch, between the CMS by-pass and the Apongbon tar valley, the twinkling of an oil vessel moored on the water caught my eye. It was lit up from bow to stern, top to bottom. The water all around it was serene; a calm liquid darkness that blended strangely with the ship’s lights. The whole picture was warm and beautiful, seductive, different from how I felt on the inside. That was when it happened. When the thought crossed my mind: “what if I drive over?” Suddenly the railings didn’t seem like much of a barrier, the vastness of the water drew closer and if I reached out, I might have touched it. I could almost feel the splashes on my face, cool and soothing. What if…? Then I snapped out of it. It was a fleeting thought, gone just as fast as it came. But it had happened. Sound familiar? Maybe it wasn’t a bridge and an alluring expanse of water. For you, it might have been a glittering knife, a bottle of swirling otapiapia, or the floor from a balcony 8 floors up. According to the US News & World Report, there are 9.3 million young people, like you and I, who have been depressed and entertained suicidal thoughts in the past year. In a research that spanned across all age groups, one common denominator was found in all affected people – stress. While I agree that this is nowhere near exhaustive, it’s good enough to pass, so we can focus, in this article, on what to do when you find yourself at such a bridge. What do you do when you’re depressed and having suicidal thoughts? First of all … go down low. No seriously, go down low … duck out of the way of all the stereotypes about depression. Depression is a curse? Duck. Suicide, even the most fleeting contemplation of it, is not an African thing? Duck. Strong (wo)men don’t choose to be depressed? Duck! Let them all fly above your head and land in the nearest pile of biodegradables. Because they’re balderdash, that’s why. “It is a common and serious mood disorder that alters how individuals think, feel, and behave. The symptoms can include feelings of hopelessness, rejection, poor concentration, lack of energy, sleep problems, and sometimes suicidal thoughts. Depression is not a choice; it is an illness.” – Psychology Today (2017). And last time I checked, it was perfectly normal to be ill. Second thing you could do, having accepted that those thoughts are merely symptoms of an illness, is do something. Of course, first choice for me would be to seek professional help. That is, speak to a psychologist, schedule counselling appointments, and attend them. Unfortunately many of us would balk at this option. Because ‘psychia’ is for mad people, and God forbid we be spotted there; the damage it would do to our reputation! *shudder* So there are other options, and they range from the mild – e.g. go out in the sun, call up friends, do something fun, join an online support group, attend master classes, pray – to the extreme – e.g. quit that job you hate, leave that abusive spouse. My personal favorite however, is making someone else happy. There are tons of researched data explaining how acts of kindness release hormones that alleviate depression but perhaps the most convincing proof is not on any of those sites or study papers. It’s in your heart. The warm rush you feel when you do something @thesparkng 19
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The Spark Magazine (Jun 2018)

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