CTJT Sports journalism course article by Afzal Shaikh

Getting Started

The ASPIRE Active programme is helping Qataris to take the first step towards an

achievable healthy lifestyle.

Around the world, Qatar‟s ASPIRE Academy has become synonymous with sporting

excellence. But, closer to home, it is just as well-known for its commitment to health and

fitness exercise in the community.

Under the ASPIRE ACTIVE banner, the Academy has created a series of fitness and

health exercise programmes to cater for every strata of society.

Regardless of age, status or gender, the goal is to create a society which understands the

importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle - and what it requires to achieve this.

This commitment is more important than ever right now, says Maryam Mohamed

Bakheet, Programme Assistant for the Special Active programme at ASPIRE ACTIVE.

“The pressures of modern living are the same in Qatar as in the US and Europe. Lack of

movement, easy availability of fast foods and our increasing pace of life means there is

less time for important matters such as exercise, eating correctly and taking care of your

body and your family‟s health.”

ASPIRE ACTIVE has been set up to combat this problem by helping people to help

themselves. The indications are that this is beginning to deliver results. “We have had

thousands of people coming to our classes - from mothers with babies right through to the

older generation,” says ASPIRE ACTIVE‟s Project Coordinator Dr Leonieke

Richardson.

“Our state-of-the-art facilities and exercise and fitness training expertise have started to

have a real impact on people‟s lives.”

ASPIRE‟s sporting and exercise facilities are now world-famous. Less well-known

perhaps is the quality of its sports science-certified exercise and fitness training staff, who

have been selected both from within Qatar and internationally.

For instructors like Maryam, ASPIRE ACTIVE is more than just a job, it‟s part of a great

nation-building exercise.

“My purpose here is to serve Qatar as a role model,” she explains.

“Our instructors are here to educate and inform people about how to take the first step

towards leading an achievable healthy lifestyle.”

This isn‟t just about turning up at ASPIRE and working out in the gym or group fitness

exercise class. For many people who have not participated in physical activity for a long

time, there is a psychological barrier to starting again.

“I think one of ASPIRE ACTIVE‟s greatest strengths is its sensitivity to the needs of

different groups,” explains Nayla Saad Massoud, a Children‟s Course instructor at AA.

“To get people participating, activities must be structured and designed so as to grab the

interest of specific local target audiences. Importantly, we offer classes in separate

locations for men and women.

“Our classes are carefully structured so that there is a wide variety available - catering for

beginners, those who haven‟t exercised for a long time and those who have never

participated in formal exercise classes. We also offer introductory movement classes for

children aged five and under and mother-child classes.

“We offer dance, fitness swimming and general fitness classes for teenagers and for

children in grades 1 through 9 who want to learn sports, we send them to the ASPIRE

Academy Sport Skill Development Centre which has the same programme and instructor

quality but focuses on teaching sports skills.”

The point about separate female facilities is crucial in Qatar, says Nayla. “At AA, we

respect cultures, values and traditions. So, for example, our ladies and their families

know they can safely participate in an all-ladies environment. Making all your clients feel

comfortable and safe in your location is the key to keeping them.”

Dr Richardson expands on this point. “We don‟t just import fitness programmes from

other countries. We design programmes that have cultural appeal. For us, the issue is how

to balance the traditional culture within Qatar with the needs of a modern society.”

Great facilities, instructor expertise and excellent exercise programmes are all important,

but they are only part of what it takes to get a country‟s population on the move.

“ASPIRE‟s communications team works hard to market the full range of services

available at the Academy,” says Dr Richardson.

“AA focuses strongly on hosting schools, kindergartens and clubs at the ASPIRE Dome

for fun educational activity sessions. We also visit with local organisations and liaise

closely with key partners when it comes to spreading the message about exercise and

healthy lifestyle.

“We also make sure that we have a presence at major events so that people can talk to us

about what we have to offer. People often call us the „Blue Brigade‟ because of the blue

ASPIRE activewear uniform we wear to make our presence more visible.”

ASPIRE ACTIVE‟s own regular fitness exercise challenge events are popular and varied.

In addition to a wide range of exercise and recreational activities, there is an aquatic

fitness and exercise programme, which has generated a very good response among men,

women and children in its first year.

Underlining AA‟s social inclusiveness message, the core aim of the programme is to

improve day-to-day fitness levels - not produce Olympic athletes, explained Swimming

Programme Leader, Csilla Winteroube.

“It enables the participants to achieve fitness and shed body weight through its various

training methods,” she adds.

As with ASPIRE ACTIVE‟s other programmes, it has worked wonders for women, says

Winteroube.

“More and more women are coming forward. Arabic women find it ideal to train in the

closed aquatic centre at the Ladies Club.”

Another aspect that the ASPIRE Active team focuses on is winning over members within

extended Qatari families.

Experience shows that support from family members is very valuable because they can

spread the health message to close relatives.

This „hearts and minds‟ strategy is not just valuable in terms of encouraging exercise but

also in changing diet, says Hala Daher, LifeStyle Instructor and Nutritionist at ASPIRE

ACTIVE.

“Diet and exercise walk hand in hand when it comes to maintaining your health. So

talking to family members means we can influence the food they prepare at big social

gatherings. Qatari social life is based a lot around such gatherings so it is a good way for

us to spread the health message.”

Once again, there is need for a balance, says Hala.

“We do need to change some of the bad eating habits in the Gulfto combat health

problems connected to obesity, but our special nutrition and lifestyle sessions are not

about putting people on a starvation diet. They are about educating people to understand

what is at stake. Our programmes must be enjoyable and realistic if they are to work.”

ASPIRE ACTIVE‟s ambitions are also helped by the fact that the commitment to

national health is high on the political agenda.

“The Qatar government takes the nation‟s health and well-being very seriously,” says

Maryam. Nayla agrees.

“Look at its investment in ASPIRE. The Academy is a shining example of how a healthy

and active lifestyle can be encouraged across all sectors of the community.”

In a similar vein, Doha‟s decision to host the Asian Games in 2006 has had a knock-on

effect across the wider community.

“I think it has encouraged people to try and lead a healthier lifestyle,” says Dr

Richardson.

“It has also encouraged people to consider physical education as a career. We were

talking to one young ASPIRE ACTIVE female staff member recently who was inspired

to study physical education work at ASPIRE as a result of the Games. That‟s the kind of

story that makes us very happy!”

CTJT Sports journalism course article by Afzal Shaikh