Asmaa Z. and Diala J. Amongst The Game-Changing Fitness Coaches in What Was Once A Male-Dominated Industry

We are celebrating women coaches as they really matter. They matter because they provide girls and women with aspiration, self-esteem, and valuation of their abilities. Seeing women Coaching greatly and have a great impact on others will encourage other women to enter the coaching profession. In fact, women can be role models for boys as well as girls. 

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The enticement and entry into coaching

In this stage, our coaches started as athletes and received support from their families and sports organizations to enter the coaching profession. Asmaa mentioned that she liked to train at her university and was inspired by her aerobics coach. So from here, she signed up in 2011 for different courses to get certified, and then she started coaching. Regarding Diala, she was an athlete when she was young because she played tennis, and she used to have training camps and courses. Because of her great athletic background, she started coaching at a CrossFit entity.

Let's find out how did the field welcome them as female coaches…

Both Asmaa and Diala felt welcomed in the fitness field, as Asmaa told us how great women in the field like Samia Allouba and Indji El Solh have shaped the fitness field "Maybe their pioneering made it easier for other women to follow their lead". For Diala, she was welcomed, as when she started, she found women already coaching at that time. However, at first, she felt the environment was a bit uncomfortable in general, as being an expatriate kind of made her feel judged.

A coaching experience that has made a huge impact on our coaches.

Asmaa told us that every coaching experience has a great impact on her. She feels proud of how the women she coaches break the limits that she elevates in every session, and she also mentioned that she appreciates "The impact I get from the progress I get to witness and the bond I get to build with my clients and athletes" When it comes to Diala, she said that she had coached a mother with congenital flaws and problems with body weakness and fatigue since she started coaching her; this woman kept telling her how her life had changed and how positively the workout affected her as she was trained in a suitable way, and she boosted her confidence. Diala mentioned, "This situation made me feel that I am doing something valuable."

Your core values as a coach 

For Diala, she believes that earning money shouldn't be the main aim of her work; however, she knows that having money is very important, but she sees that coaching is more of a living passion. "I feel I am good at coaching, so my job is to help others be good at it too and encourage them". Regarding Asmaa, as a coach, she values consistency, commitment, and progress over perfection, as she says that her communication with her clients and athletes is to keep enjoying the process of getting better. She believes that coaching is about the personal improvement that comes with committing to moving and staying healthy. "So I value patience, consistency, commitment, and sweet progress, staying human through it all".

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As a female coach do you feel that you have to do extra work to prove yourself?

Let's see what our coaches said…..

Asmaa said she didn't feel that way, as anyone has to do the extra work if they want to be exceptional at what they do, whether they are men or women. She explained what a woman often faces in the working field as she mentioned that "women fall victim to the unfairness that would grant them fewer opportunities, assuming that women will not last in a career because of social expectations such as getting married or getting pregnant. So you prove yourself as a woman, and still, society somehow places you in certain roles they see as unmatching to your career."

When it comes to Diala she said that at the beginning she felt that she had to do extra work as she didn't know anyone at that time; the community was new to her, and as an expatriate, she did not know anyone. That kind of pressured her, as she had to fight any problems alone. However, she assures us that she worked on herself and gained confidence and a lot of knowledge to the point where she doesn't have to do extra work to prove herself because her work speaks for itself.

Our coaches took us to some challenges they faced and how they managed them

Asmaa says, "I believe challenges in this field would have to do with always correcting misconceptions" . For example, convincing women to train and exercise out of love for their bodies rather than out of punishment, she clarifies that she manages that by communicating with her clients, and she believes that it is a challenge that she enjoys working on.

Diala explains that one of the challenges that she faced is that not many people knew about prenatal and postpartum workouts, so at the beginning of her program she had to make a lot of effort to spread awareness for the importance of these workouts in order to reassure and encourage women. Actually, she succeeds in having a large number of women in this program by working hard on social media and creating awareness.

Asmaa and Diala told us about the changes they have seen in the acceptance of women coaches

For Asmaa, she assures: "Plenty! There’s a pool of female coaches in every gym, box, and training facility now. There’s room for women to do and show that with the media platforms available now. Also, the female empowerment programs by different institutions have helped speed up this change."

When it comes to Diala "Women, in general, are now more confident to follow their passions." I've seen so many women walking away from their corporate jobs to pursue coaching as a full-time job, which is so inspiring."

Asmaa talked with us about her goals and hopes for the coaching field

Asmaa clarifies, "I aspire to keep impacting my clients and athletes’ lives. And always lead by example by being the best person/athlete I can be. And I’d hope for the field to be rich with well-educated, strong coaches who shine with their feminine energy to keep inspiring others."

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Diala told us about the importance of prenatal and postpartum workouts for moms

Diala explains that being pregnant is not easy as it changes the hormones of the body, so being physically active through workouts helps strengthen the body, regulate the mood, increase energy levels and productivity, improve sleep quality, and increase relaxation hormones. She says that exercises for postpartum can also help fight off symptoms of postpartum depression, a common challenge all new mothers face, and decrease stress levels.

What keeps our coaches passionate about their work?

Asmaa and Diala both agree that what keeps them passionate is the progress they witness in the athlete's lives as well as their bodies, as they feel that there is a purpose to what they are doing. It makes them happy every time they see people feel confident and believe in themselves because of their coaching and their impact on them.

As March is the month of women, our coaches gave a word of encouragement to women who want to start coaching

Asmaa supports women by saying that they would start by being good athletes first and good students second, as she advises them to train their bodies to understand what they will be studying. "When you learn how to program and what movements to teach your athletes, you would have to have done this yourself. Start building confidence in your own journey of learning and adjusting. And reach out to different coaches you look up to if you want to learn more in person. Networking matters. And Good Luck"

For Diala, she encourages women to experience everything themselves first, even if they have enough knowledge; they must understand and go through everything well before passing it on to others. She says, "When a coach experiences a specific workout and knows its impact, it will make her defiantly understand how the athlete is mentally and physically affected, as she will relate. She advises women to “learn and have knowledge over everything related to physical coaching, as this will distinguish you as a female coach, and will help you give quality coaching.”

Happy Women's Month!