to get our desi ‘Maasis’ and ‘aunties’ interested in physical fitness activities. We are trying to start free aerobic classes, various sports (tennis, badminton, racquet ball) for women at our local Islamic cultural center. The response so far has been luke warm (at best). Other than participating in Eid dinners and Meelads, these Maasis are not interested in anything else, although most of them do need to shed a few pounds. I know beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and maybe their beholders like them the way they are, but how can I convince them that exercise is good for them. My dream of being an aerobics instructor are being shattered by their non- participation, therefore I need some ideas on how to get these females off of their behinds and into the gym. Providing halwa-puri after the workout may entice them..anyone else have any other suggestions??
Hmmm.....interesting problem.
Lemme think about it.
Don’t tell them it is a aerobic/exercise class instead advertise that it is a Rishtay dhooNDne ki class…phir dekhna aunties ka aana. cent percent haazri ho gi
reminds me a sher
aah bharate huye woh dieting centre aayi
aah ko chahiye ik umr asr hone tak
No it should be more like
Aah ko chahiyay ik umer asar honay tak
Kaun aunti jeeti hain dieting kay khatam honay tak
On a rather serious note Antidote, since u mentioned "physical fitness" and sports I am assuming it's nothing like starving one's self to death (dieting). Therefore, that's something positive you are trying to establish in your community there. Sadly many of the desi females don't realize that staying healthy must be done from early years and not something all of a sudden once a person crosses 30 or 40 and so forth... Keep it up, it's going to be hard to get them to start at first but once they see a change in themselves for the better, there is no reason why they wouldn't continue.
Hmmm......take the community group on a visit to a nursing home....or perhaps a hospital where there are patients in chronic/continuing care....patients that cannot move any longer....patients whose muscles are atrophic, whose extremities have started to curl inwards because the tendons are no longer flexible.....patients with broken and fractured bones that have/will never heal due to osteoporosis.
Then show them how long these patients lie in bed hoping some of their family will come and visit with them for half an hour.
At the end of the trip ask them if they wanna see themselves there.
Thanks much for your input y'all. I do have some options I see, and Chanji, your suggestion may just work. Let me give it another try and see how that works. I'll keep you posted about the success rate. In the mean time wish me luck
So long