Physical activity (which is broader than "exercise") is proven to give powerful and effective health benefits. Read all about it here. It's a bit wordy, but the gist is that regular physical activity will make you stronger, more mentally active, protect you from chronic illnesses and make you feel good.
Now we come to the older women in my community. In the Indian Muslim community, a lot of ladies don't do regular physical activity. It's a non-starter. So after years of inactivity, they give a whole new meaning to the term "late bloomers" - they become obese, and develop knee aches and don't move about, complaining that they have knee aches. (Curiously, they (some, not all) are able to move with lightning swiftness when it comes to briyani collection at mosques after religious talks.)
This is not good - unhealthy womenfolk means setting bad examples to their children and family. Generations of sedentary Indian Muslim ladies and gentlemen fed on a diet of weekly briyani, coconut milk-laden chicken curry, murtabak, mee goreng and rojak (not from Geylang). So a group of us decided to change this sedentary thinking.
It began as a simple chat over some fattening coffee and cakes at Coffeebean, near Bencoolen Street on a Saturday evening. The plan was to combine some physical activity and a religious talk to make it a worthwhile event for older Indian Muslim ladies to attend and gain something. They could bring their kids and husbands for moral support. They would get to listen to a Ustaz say a few words about the duty of humans to take care of their bodies in this world. At the end of the day, they might even get some healthy snack or drink to take home.
So a pilot briskwalking project is in the pipeline - to get sedentary housewives to learn about the fantastic results of even a little bit of physical activity, and to do it with their loved ones and to do it with the knowledge that it's encouraged by religious beliefs. Let's hope it works out well, insha Allah...
Now we come to the older women in my community. In the Indian Muslim community, a lot of ladies don't do regular physical activity. It's a non-starter. So after years of inactivity, they give a whole new meaning to the term "late bloomers" - they become obese, and develop knee aches and don't move about, complaining that they have knee aches. (Curiously, they (some, not all) are able to move with lightning swiftness when it comes to briyani collection at mosques after religious talks.)
This is not good - unhealthy womenfolk means setting bad examples to their children and family. Generations of sedentary Indian Muslim ladies and gentlemen fed on a diet of weekly briyani, coconut milk-laden chicken curry, murtabak, mee goreng and rojak (not from Geylang). So a group of us decided to change this sedentary thinking.
It began as a simple chat over some fattening coffee and cakes at Coffeebean, near Bencoolen Street on a Saturday evening. The plan was to combine some physical activity and a religious talk to make it a worthwhile event for older Indian Muslim ladies to attend and gain something. They could bring their kids and husbands for moral support. They would get to listen to a Ustaz say a few words about the duty of humans to take care of their bodies in this world. At the end of the day, they might even get some healthy snack or drink to take home.
So a pilot briskwalking project is in the pipeline - to get sedentary housewives to learn about the fantastic results of even a little bit of physical activity, and to do it with their loved ones and to do it with the knowledge that it's encouraged by religious beliefs. Let's hope it works out well, insha Allah...
2 comments:
Alhamdulillah, its good to know that people like you are exsisting in this part of the world. We really need to 'kick start' our Indian Muslims community to lead a healthy lifestyle.
I know what's it's like to be in this 'food-loving' and 'eat all 'good' food community...sometimes it gets really fustrating when you know that they're putting their bodies into danger.
The Quran not only said eat halal food but the word 'HALAL' is always accompanied by 'Tayyibah'. So we really need to 'strengthen' this verse by practing it in our lives and if one were to look at the diet of the Prophet (s.a.w) is a really 'uswatun hasana' to all of us.
Btw...how can I help in this 'baraka' prohject?
Alhamdulillah bro, thanks for your wish to help. I'll be in touch with you soon to explain the details... just mark the date, 14 June, 6am...
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