In thinking back to my school days, perhaps my scariest (and simultaneously most amusing) memories have to do with gym class. Yes. Gym class. Always the last to be chosen on every team, I not only was one of the worst players, one of the last to finish the mile run, and definitely NOT a favorite of my gym teachers, I also was the awkward and funny looking “brown” girl wearing pants underneath her shorts because her religion called for it. How’s that for a prescription for low self-esteem and self-image?
I’d like to say that I grew out of this stage in my life and gained the confidence to incorporate physical activity into my life as an adult. While it’s very easy to fantasize about adopting this healthy behavior and making this lifestyle change, in practice, it’s one of my most difficult challenges in life.
In all honesty, it’s not even the actual physical activity part that makes me such a commitment phobe. It’s all the other stuff that comes with it. Being a working mother of two, the thought of adding a daily workout or sport into my routine of school drop off, pick up, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, afterschool activities, homework help, bath time and bed time, seems way too much to ask. Not to mention that incorporating a daily workout or sport alongside my other responsibilities also means budgeting for the time it takes to get ready to go to the gym, shower afterward, and get ready again for the rest of the day. I also won’t mention how awkward it still feels to work out in a gym with *deep breath* the opposite gender and what a nuisance it is to work out in full-sleeves and with a scarf wrapped around your head when you’re already sweating up a storm..
All this aside, all of us know the benefits of physical activity and how this important lifestyle change can reduce your vulnerability to chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, as well as strengthen your muscles and bones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities three to five times a week for thirty to sixty minutes reduces your risk of depression, helps you sleep better and keeps your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as your age. In addition, physical activity is also a fantastic way to build one’s confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills.
Yet, at least when I was growing up, physical activity and sports were never on the top of my parents’ list of priorities for me, nor were they on my girl friends’ parents’ list of priorities for them. More important were science and math scores, with reading being a close third. This lack of emphasis on physical activity in our cultural context is unfortunate and needs to be changed to prevent another generation of girls who abhor athletics. Perhaps our generation of dads, who fervently hope that their son will be the first South Asian NBA player to make it big, will encourage their daughters toward the lofty goal of reaching the WNBA as well. With this ambitious goal in mind, we must be careful as we push our daughters to athletic perfection. Moderation is key, and as we push our girls, it is important to protect them from the other extreme – the drive for athletic perfection in combination with a desire to be thin, opening the door to some very serious eating disorders.
It is important for us to encourage each other, our mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends to be physically active and find a sport (or two) they love and make a regular commitment to it. Here are some tips that have helped me to slowly make this lifestyle change:
Start Slowly. Start incorporating physical activity into your weekly or daily routine slowly, and gradually increase your level of activity. Gradual increase is not only more likely to be sustainable, but it also puts less of a shock on your body. Start with practical, simple goals that are achievable. Once you begin to reach these goals, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and feel motivated to push yourself harder.
Go with a friend. Find a friend (or two) that you can workout with at your local gym. Having someone accompany you not only motivates you to show up, but also makes you feel guiltier if you don’t.
Find a female-friendly gym. For those of you who are uncomfortable exercising in front of the opposite gender, try to find a gym that caters to women only. Perhaps you may end up paying more a month for this service, but it may prove to be worth your investment in the long run because you’ll be going more often. Talk to your local park district to see if they are willing to offer a women-only swim time after regular hours to allow the women in your community to enjoy the community pool as everyone else does.
Advocate for systems change. If your family is active at your local Islamic center or mosque, encourage the administration to consider adding a physical activity or sports component to their programming to motivate young people (and their parents) to participate in sports. Not only might they feel more at ease competing against their friends, as opposed to their classmates from school which brings on a whole different level of competition, but it will also cultivate a sense of community and camaraderie.
Recognize a talent when you see one. Moms, if you recognize a talent in your daughters, or even an interest toward a certain sport – encourage your daughter to run with it (no pun intended). If you don’t see aptitude or interest right away, keep encouraging your daughter to continue to try new activities and sports until she finds one she likes. Physical activity and sports are a natural outlet to foster a positive self-esteem, self-image (which we all know is so imperative our girls’ characters) and leadership skills. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, studies show that regular physical activity can lead to improved academic performance, reduces anxiety and stress, and improves self-esteem. It also promotes social well-being, teamwork, and sportsmanship and many studies also show that students who participate in sports are less likely to be regular smokers or take drugs.
Reward Yourself. Making a commitment to physical activity is a difficult one, and one that deserves to be acknowledged. Whether it’s taking a few minutes for yourself after each exercising session to reflect and savor the good feelings exercise gives you, or treating yourself to a new pair of walking shoes or new music for your exercise sessions, make sure you do something to acknowledge your progress, as well as the physical activity accomplishments of the women and girls in your life.
Resources:
The Mayo Clinic
Center for Disease Control
Department of Health and Human Services
Nadiah is co-founder and director of programs for the HEART Women & Girls Project. She recently earned her Masters in Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. in the past she has been a consultant for the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services working on a variety of different projects focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness, American Indian/Alaska Native Health, and improving the health of Chicago. Prior to her work at the OWH, she worked on a research project focusing on improving the pregnancy outcomes of low-income Chicago women. She earned her bachelor degree in Public Policy Studies from University of Chicago and lives in Hyde Park with her two children and husband.
Good article. A couple of my friends and I have tossed around the idea of starting a yoga class at one of our houses where we follow a tape . . . but then someone suggests going out for dinner or brunch and the original idea gets left on the back burner.
“…we must be careful as we push our daughters to athletic perfection. Moderation is key, and as we push our girls, it is important to protect them from the other extreme ??? the drive for athletic perfection in combination with a desire to be thin, opening the door to some very serious eating disorders.”
I agree with this if you’re referring to sports like ballet and gymnastics where maintaining a light weight may be ideal. For those ambitiously pursuing most other sports, though, eating well is a major component of maintaining their athleticism. It’s those girls (or guys) who begin a sports regimen for the sake of weight-loss that may already have a history of eating disorders or, I guess, risk developing one.
In my case, I loved sports growing up. I received all sorts of sport-related awards in school, and was on many sports teams. I would fantasize about competing at provincial and national levels in figure skating, diving, … my list went on. After a certain age, my family didn’t allow me to take lessons outside of school in any of these sports b/c of the revealing costumes I would have to wear. The option of custom-made halal costumes didn’t occur to me, and at that stage in my life, I would have been entirely too embarrassed to wear anything of the sort.