Like everyone forays into something unexpected and it becomes a turning point in their life, fitness happened to this 40-year-old mom of two daughters.
Meet Farzana Begum, an internationally certified functional, strength training and Animal Flow coach, personal trainer, certified nutritionist, Pre, and Post-natal coach, and Pilates instructor.
Farzana coaches only women and trains the underprivileged ones for free.
After losing her mom to an illness in 2014, she was drowning with a pang of self-inflicted guilt that she couldn’t do anything for her.
“Little did I know that the small aches and pains that we ignore can turn fatal. And self-care isn’t selfish but can be proven an SOS. This realization dawned upon me, and instead of just mourning the loss of my mother, I decided to do something which could save many lives,” shared Farzana while speaking to Life Beyond Numbers.
She was emotional yet a realist. Hence, Farzana chalked out a plan for working on herself, educating on different aspects of holistic health, and getting into the depth of what women think about physical and mental well-being. The seed of a more ubiquitous mission was planted, and in 2017 she entered into professional fitness training.
Nothing was served to her on a platter. Like every newbie, she had her set of challenges while setting her career. Today, she has carved her niche and is known as Andhra Pradesh’s only Hijabi strength and functional trainer.
Humble Farzana says it feels overwhelming and a sense of pride to be the first Hijabi fitness coach and a personal trainer. She recollects how people mocked her for adorning the hijab during the initial days, and it kept surfacing as her biggest impediment.
“I don’t blame people for not accepting me as a coach. Often there is a strange perspective towards women in hijab. People still think we are not educated enough or are the oppressed lots. I want to convey to them that we cover our heads, not our brains. Give us an opportunity without judging; we will prove how competent professionals we are,“ said Farzana.
There was a time when no one wanted to train under her. Even getting a space was an impossible equation. She was asked to move to the Middle East as she was firmed to train only women.
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Determined not to give up, Farzana started training a few women (family and friends) by the beach in 2018. Visakhapatnam was witnessing such training for the first time. Naturally, it used to raise the eyebrows of onlookers. But she remained unmoved.
“I made my so-called weakness “my hijab”, my strength. What mattered was the knowledge and experience that I gathered through the years of learning and interacting with some of the best female athletes in India. My training and interpersonal skills helped get many trainees from Vizag and women across the globe. Today, I’m recognized as the Hijabi fit mom, ‘first Hijabi human book’ of Visakhapatnam,” Farzana said with a great sense of pride.
She affirms that a woman’s identity should be based on the work, expertise, and the kind of difference she makes in society, not on her attire.
Before establishing herself as an independent fitness coach, she worked with a destitute home for 12 years in Bangalore. Her responsibilities included educating orphan girls on basic hygiene, nutrition, health, and personal grooming. As she was working closely with them, an internal shift was fanning her passion for doing something for women from underprivileged segments, especially making fitness available to everyone.
Despite hailing from a conservative community, it’s the unflinching family support that has kept Farzana going. She is proud of her upbringing in terms of education and the rights of women.
“My father always believed that a girl should be educated enough to support herself. It is something taught by Islam and laid upon for women. I’m blessed to have him and his faith in me and my passion. I equally thank my husband for being there as my emotional anchor.”
Life wasn’t easy on her health as well. She is a cancer survivor but looks at it as a learning experience nudging her to love life to the fullest.
“Throughout my chemotherapy days, I continued training my mentees. I count them as my blessings for trusting my work instead of giving in to endless negative talks around me. Those fitness classes made me resilient, optimistic, and grateful.”
Braving her near-death experience, she draws her strength from the sermons of the holy book ‘Quran’ and Allah. She is also a believer in the power of hope and patience.
Often women give up on workout regimes in lack of novelty. Farzana always tries to bring in something new so that her mentees are not bored instead experience different forms of fitness.
“I incorporate Pilates, animal flow, and training on mobility, which many coaches usually ignore. The idea is to make training sessions a fun experience, even using props that are easily available at home.”
Being a Prenatal and Postnatal coach, she considers it her responsibility to sensitize expecting and new mothers. Not many women are aware of a condition post-pregnancy called DR (Diastasis Recti) -a bulge or paunch that is commonly seen and is usually considered normal. While training a pregnant woman or postpartum mother, she explains these points and spends the first few weeks working on the condition.
“People fail to understand that 100 crunches or sit-ups won’t sculpt that ab. It is a combination of workouts that improve the core strength, right breathing technique, and a wholesome diet that build your immunity and body strong.“
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In a world where people are bombarded with fitness and health information, she strongly advocates getting the facts checked and myths busted. To her, it is possible only through meeting personally and 1-1 interaction. Even on a minute scale, she has taken the initiative.
“During the onset of the pandemic last year, I started an all-women wellness group free of cost. Through this platform, I ran several health-related challenges to create awareness. All this has led to an idea of starting a charitable initiative under the name ‘Fit with Fab’ – Heal the World, Building A Community Through Fitness’.”
Farzana also intends to reach children from different NGOs and low social, economic groups and educate them about health, hygiene, and mental health by conducting free fitness and nutritional sessions.
According to her, for any woman aspiring to build herself as a fitness brand, more than the size of a city, it is the willingness to work hard. She cites Vizag, a city in Andhra Pradesh, which has some accomplished female fitness coaches making a brand for themselves. However, there is no shortcut to fame.
“I believe my grit and determination to make a difference in the lives of my female counterparts gave me the strength to take this step. I owe the birth of ‘Fit with Fab’ (first women-only gym) in Vizag to all my trainees.”
Her definition of fitness revolves around coaching, mentoring, and being a people person who understands each client and has the skills to personalize the training instead of one-for-all-regime. For her, learning is a never-ending process. Farzana is already equipping herself with advanced fitness training levels that include rehab, focusing on the body’s mechanism, technique, and form.
“In the coming years, I see myself doing several advanced certifications that will cover further areas on women’s health.“
Before signing out, Farzana conveys a simple message to all women to prioritize their health and urges men to take care of the women around them by gifting them time towards wellbeing.