The holy month of Ramadan witnessed the inauguration of a fitness center for visually impaired women in Riyadh. The exclusive one of a kind fitness center that opened last week is one of the projects adopted by the non-profit charitable organization Kafeef that offers many rehabilitative services to blind women and their families. The organization is dedicated to the support and education of women with this challenging disability. It provides training courses in computer skills, typing in Braille, and reading and memorizing the chapters of the Qur'an. Kafeef held an awards ceremony on Sunday at Salah-ul-Deen Hotel in Riyadh to honor those blind women who successfully memorized portions of the Qur'an. The visually impaired women and members of Kafeef were delighted by the prospect of the fitness center, they are optimistic that it will serve as a healthy outlet for the stress they face in their lives. It will not only be an enjoyable place for them to pass their time and alleviate loneliness and boredom, but a place where they can learn new skills and get some physical exercise. The fitness center is an extension of the healthcare programs that Kafeef invests in for its members. Regular physical exercise is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle and it can prevent and treat obesity, which is a major culprit for the onset of diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated blood cholesterol levels, and heart disease. The director of the women's branch of Kafeef, Siham Al-Shadadi told Okaz, “The fitness center is evidence of the concern and dedication channeled towards the visually impaired in the Kingdom, as this segment of the society deserves our special care and attention. Just like women with perfect eyesight, blind women can also enjoy the health benefits of regular physical exercise. The organization intends to implement more programs on health, nutrition, and exercise for our members.” “Currently, the activities in the fitness center include aerobics sessions followed by exercises that tone, strengthen, and increase flexibility of the body's muscles. We also have some exercise equipment that can be used by our members with the help and direct supervision of the trainers. A dietician also creates a nutritional plan tailored for each member according to her caloric needs and is printed out in Braille so she can follow the plan at home,” said the spokeswoman and director of the new fitness center, Fawzia Al-Sadoun. A member of the organization, Amna Al-Feefi, is completely blind but despite her disability she is studying psychology at Al-Imam University. “I cannot describe how happy and elated I was on the day of the inauguration of the fitness center here at Kafeef. The organization has become my second home and I feel a strong sense of belonging to it. From the moment I joined the organization I had dreamt of having a gym where we could work out,” said Al -Feefi. – SG
