Well Being Women

Well Being Women (WBW) seeks to share basic principles of physical fitness and the benefits of mindful movement and relaxation with women who have limited options for exercise.   Developed by a doctor of physiotherapy, and a 500-hour certified yoga teacher, both of whom worked for several years with women in Afghanistan, WBW is designed to be easy to learn, easy to do, and easy to teach. WBW  provides short-term intervention(s) of education and fitness sessions, as well as mentoring for local women interested in teaching the program.  WBW supplies easily translatable materials for participants to continue their practice, including material suitable for those who cannot read.  

 WBW assists and encourages women to improve and maintain their health and wellbeing through enjoyable activities that can be undertaken alone or in a group with no equipment or expense required.  WBW provides instruction to women with limited information and means to protect, maintain, and improve their physical health and wellbeing. Recognizing that women have enough to do, the program of exercise, health, safety, and education is designed to fit comfortably into women’s regular daily lives. Caring for one’s health can and should be a joy, not one more chore.  

The basis for our approach links into a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Healthy women are better able to take care of themselves and their families, to work, and enjoy life. WbW educates women about exercise, correct movement, and how to keep themselves healthy in ways that are practical and sustainable for them. We work contextually, informatively, and with the aim that the knowledge and practices are ‘owned’ by the women themselves.

Much health programming in the developing work has focused on women’s pre-natal and natal health, or as an entryway to improving the health of children. WbW enhances these objectives, but it is designed for women to enjoy good health as its own reward.

While designed for women to benefit within their own homes, the program offers opportunities for social interaction. Socializing with other women is not only a way to increase knowledge sharing and encourage health activity, it is a health benefit in and of itself.

The physical connection to an array of benefits such better sleep, better cognition, better decision making, better gut and bowel function, improved strength, balance, coordination, and countering depression are well documented. These are the effects. But the motivation for the programming is to provide a healthy outlet for women to realize and enjoy themselves—a benefit unto itself.

The WellBeing Women program is conducted in conjunction with Sitara Wellbeing.

We believe health is its own reward and that healthy women are happier women—an outcome we should all support.