This archive report was first published on 2 October 2019.
On the surface, it seems like a paradox: a city where malnutrition and hunger are common, yet the number of gyms and fitness enthusiasts has increased significantly. This contradiction is underlined by the increasing number of gyms in Nairobi and other small towns, where high-end hotels and members' clubs have quickly caught on to the obsession with health, weight, and appearances.
Entrepreneurs have taken advantage of this trend, combining exercise or fitness with music to attract more customers. The use of music in fitness could have been borrowed from the military, which uses it when marching. Losing weight or keeping fit is now fun; you ride on the universal language of music.
Groups of mostly women with (mostly) male trainers gyrate to the rhythm of rhumba or zumba music in gyms. The session usually takes an hour, but occasional marathons take two to three hours. Women dominate such sessions because men have
