Aaliya Farooq, Kashmir’s first certified woman fitness trainer, has broken stereotypes with her choice of career. Farooq started her career as a gym trainer in 2012, and since then, she has been raising awareness about women’s health and fitness. As a mother of two children, she faced a lot of health issues after pregnancy, such as obesity and depression. "My husband suggested that I join a gym, but I was not sure whether a male trainer can understand the female body or not. I went to Delhi and was inspired by married women who were fit, and I decided to join the gym there. I lost almost 28 kgs in four months," she said during a recent interview.
Talking to a news daily, Farooq said that most women in Kashmir are shy and avoided going to the gym because there were no female instructors. "Women need a female gym trainer, so I decided to become a gym instructor after my experience. I went to Hyderabad for training and took charge of my husband's gym as an instructor in 2012. Since then, I have trained thousands of women from different parts of the Kashmir Valley. High blood pressure, cholesterol and infertility are common issues among females and hence they need to exercise regularly,” she said.
She faced a lot of challenges and criticism in starting the gym centre, but that didn’t stop her. Farooq borrowed money from her father to set up the women’s gym. The response of the women was highly encouraging. “The women constantly motivated me. Inspired by them, I opened the Fitness Solution Gym. We got huge appreciation for our gym, and an impressive client base.” “My husband and family supported me to run this fitness centre. All this was possible only because of their continuous support,” she added. “In Kashmir, we must have a female fitness centre in every district. I appeal to the government that they should assist females in opening up fitness centres across the Kashmir Valley”, she said.
Image courtesy @thecitizen.in