JEDDAH: An at-home fitness drive during the coronavirus lockdown has raised SR125,000 ($33,333) for the Saudi Food Bank.
More than 5,500 pledges were made by residents in the Kingdom who took part in the month-long workout initiative, which was launched by the Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA).
It launched “Move to Donate” during Ramadan as part of its “Your Home, Your Gym” fitness campaign to encourage healthy lifestyles while keeping in mind the tenets of the fasting month, such as supporting those in need and community values. “Move to Donate” was structured in line with the Ministry of Health’s directives to stay at home and maintain social distance.
Pledges to work out from home were made on the SFA website and were translated into food bank donations that were delivered throughout Ramadan. Different types of workouts and challenges were included such as jumping jacks, sit-ups, jogging, running in place and more. Many of these challenges were met and participants shared their daily workouts on social media.
A local training team contributed to the challenges and provided many training videos on social media to help participants along the way. Some of the captains included Najia Alfadl, Aya Alduhaiman, Fahad Al-Sahli, Abdullah Fallatah, Ahmad Al-Mosabi and Yasmine Hassan.
HIGHLIGHTS
• More than 5,500 pledges were made by residents in the Kingdom who took part in the month-long workout initiative.
• Different types of challenges were included such as jumping jacks, sit-ups, jogging, running in place and more.
“Every person that participated in ‘Move to Donate’ not only committed to keeping active, they advocated for others to be active and join the movement,” said SFA President Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal. “This was really group dynamism put to work to achieve so many positive trajectories: Health, positivity, and social good. It is one of the strongest moments of the Sports for All Federation’s history, made possible by participants from all over Saudi Arabia.”
The initiative proved to be the ideal encouragement for people of all ages and sporting abilities to stay active, build healthy habits and try new challenges during the lockdown period. The digital call to action reached nearly 4 million people at the end of April, with thousands of user-generated social media images and videos of home workouts being posted from across the Kingdom and the wider Gulf Cooperation Council area.
“Baytak Nadeek (Your Home, Your Gym) is in a transition phase,” Prince Khaled added. “It was initially a response to the health crisis and it has evolved to become a full-on lifestyle guide. I would describe it as a strategic path to living your best life through being healthy, active, and mindful.”
The social impact program was supported by the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.
