Our life needs a change, needs activation and needs to be taken care of. A lot of people tend to do sport whatever type it is, such as, diving, football, lifting, swimming, etc. Since most of us have the same daily routine, wake up, go to work, eat dinner and sleep, it could be a simple change in our day by exercising at home or going to the gym. It is very beneficial because it is a part of relieving the stress, anxiety, depression, and gaining the self-esteem we need.
Most Omani women feel insecure or unmotivated to exercise or go to the gym, they feel that the only exercise to do is walking because it is an easy and a doable workout.
Twenty-three-year-old Faiqa al Harthy is an Omani personal trainer who inspires other women to do hard and challenging workouts and empower them through health and fitness. She presents her gym skills in the social media app ‘Instagram’ as “Fit with Fay”, she gives advice, workout instructions and videos.
Faiqa said, “I know amazing Omani women in the fitness world, majority of them are certified personal trainers and want to make a change towards the health and fitness world in Oman.”
However, she mentioned, tradition and culture have women feeling that certain workouts are not meant for her, perhaps it is dangerous or are unsafe, or they think it is too manly to do, while it is wrong and any workouts are for all genders.
“A woman can train just as much as a man can,” she added. On the other hand, we can see in this generation that people understand and are open-minded, so there are a lot of determined women who consider the gym their priority.
“Whatever workout that suits you, that is the best workout, do what you love, as training is not a chore, it should be something you enjoy doing.”, she said.
Women think that lifting is a manly thing and they will look masculine. Faiqa played her role at correcting these thoughts and ideas. women can do weight training and it is so good for their body. Women should not be afraid to lift weight because women’s hormones are not the same as men. It is all about feeling satisfied and confident in any workout or exercise we do. In the majority, some women like bodybuilding and women pursue it. However, the most common thing is that women tend to stay fit. Faiqa said, “Training isn’t just for losing weight. it is meant to help live a healthier lifestyle, improve overall health, mood, sleep and various other reasons”.
Faiqa was living insecurely because of her body, living in her own shell. But life requires one to change. We cannot stay in the same circle every time. Faiqa decided in the third year of her studies to change her lifestyle, purifying her mind, revealing all stress she gets, by stepping her first step in joining the healthy lifestyle.
“I got into the world of health and fitness. It was a trial and error process, I made a lot of mistakes and I learnt from them”, she added. She lost over 30 kg and joined a new gym in Oman “ F45 Training” that was opened in 2019.
Also, through her journey, she discovered what really a fitness community is. She took her first certificate of becoming a personal trainer through ISSA. It was challenging for her because she was a student at university and at the same time she acquired her personal training certification. Four years later, she became a personal trainer at F45 to lead and coach powerful women.
“Currently, Faiqa goes to a mixed gym. She believes in the person she has become, “wearing Hijab means modesty. the other gender respects me as an Omani trainer, because there is one purpose, is to focus on the performance and be a better version of own self”, she commented. On the other hand, she is known for being fashionable and stylish during her training. She loves to inspire other girls around her to stay fit and chic.
Before growing as an influencer, Faiqa was anxious as the field she is getting into is not so common in her culture. It was her will to make people accept her choice and the field she affiliated herself with. She feels that she is adding something new to her society.
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