77-year-old man offers tip on health and longevity in life

By Soli Wilson 13 March 2019, 12:00AM

As part of the World Kidney Day celebrations, a 77-year-old man and owner of Heems Fitness Gym is offering Samoans a health tip on the importance of getting physical. 

Segialii Tony Heems claims that at his age he is as strong as an ox and he owes it all to regular exercise.

"The message I want to tell and promote, because I'm 77-years-old now and I am not a single illness on me. I started exercising when I was 20-years-old, so I've been exercising for 57 years, three times a week unless something inevitable comes up," he said in an interview.

Segialii said exercising has done so many good things for him, and this is the message that he wants to spread to other Samoans. 

"As long as you can move, you can do it yourself. Not necessarily come to the gym but you can sweep the floor, wipe the walls, pick up the rubbish, anything as long as you mobile your body.

"So exercise is not just for today, exercise is part of your life, you can't do without exercise. What I mean is, if you're sick, you can’t do anything so it’s very important to exercise," he said.

Segialii said comparing the human body to cars,  a vehicle needs a wash as well as an oil change and can run, otherwise the engine will seize. 

"But if you look at the spiritual side, well I know Adam and Eve, Jesus Christ didn't give them a computer but a garden, and told them they have to eat the fruits of their sweat, so exercise has been right from the beginning," he added. 

Segialii said his intention is to help his people, saying looking young isn't the point of exercising, but rather a part of you that you cannot do without.

He also mentioned how important the diet is when it comes to daily living and exercising.


"Diet is very important. If you just want general fitness all you have to do is you eat all the greens, fruits, fish and chicken and you have to cut starch like taro and protein," Segialii said.

"If you want to lose weight, you have to eat every four hours, you have to follow that diet, even if you have a beautiful body and you want to maintain, you should still do four hours but have to cut all that starch food," he said.

He emphasized that humans do not  necessarily have to make their diet expensive to meet a healthy diet.

"I'm talking about what we get all the time, our local fruits and whatever you can afford, like tin fish, there’s nothing wrong with tin fish, its nice, it’s oil is easy to digest, is another thing," he said.

Segialii's dedication to healthy living is reflected through his Heem's Fitness Centre at Vaivase Tai that's been operating for 37 years.

"The gym has been on for 37 years. Our gym is still going because it’s part of my life. All my kids are all exercise people so I never close down and we're looking into opening a fitness center in Salelologa by the end of this year," he said.

"To help people, sports players, rugby players and everybody, you can't do without the muscle and the cardio, and the breathing to keep people going," he added.

Segialii encouraged the public to keep their bodies moving while they still can, and and if inetrested, swing by his fitness center to sort out an arrangement if interested to see how exercise can make a difference to lives and said, money is not an issue.

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Savaii
By Soli Wilson 13 March 2019, 12:00AM

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