Dozens join outdoor group workouts in Yemen to help cope with stress of war

Record ID: 1736717

  • Title: Dozens join outdoor group workouts in Yemen to help cope with stress of war
  • Date: 2nd August 2023
  • Summary: SANAA, YEMEN (JULY 27, 2023) (REUTERS) TEAM LEADER DIRECTING WORKOUT, COUNTING VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS WORKING OUT DURING MORNING DRILLS CHILDREN DURING WORKOUT, COUNTING PARTICIPANTS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEDIA OFFICER FOR 'BEST TEAM' GROUP THAT ORGANISE WORKOUTS, MUHAMMAD AL-ASHWAL, SAYING: "In our team, we emphasize that exercise is not for winning championships, but for health and for life." VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS DOING STRETCHING EXERCISES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 'BEST TEAM' MEMBER, ABDUL-AZIZ NAJMUDDEEN, SAYING: "Instead of a person being trapped within four walls, he now has an outlet, a spiritual and physical outlet to move beyond stress, depression and psychological pressures. This also opened a way for the Yemeni person to breathe and find the friends he longs for." VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS DURING WORKOUT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JOURNALIST AND PARTICIPANT, ABDULLAH AL-SAAFANI, SAYING: "We have many examples of both young people and the elderly who were suffering from many diseases, especially diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. All of them have found their strength and improved their health. And our motto in the team: 'No one is elderly. Everyone is young.'" VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS DURING WORKOUT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 'BEST TEAM' MEMBER, ESSAM AL-KHALED, SAYING: "We in the 'Best Team' (exercise group) represent a social class in which everyone is equal. Young and old people join this team. Also youths join. People from poor and rich classes also join, among them are those who wear sports uniforms and those who do not wear uniforms, and even those who wear casual clothes. The most important thing is that they come to exercise." VARIOUS OF PARTICIPANTS DURING EXERCISES
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2023 08:28
  • Keywords: FITNESS STRESS WAR WORKOUTS YEMEN
  • Location: SANAA, YEMEN
  • City: SANAA, YEMEN
  • Country: Yemen
  • Topics: Middle East,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA001140201082023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:In an outdoor courtyard in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, dozens of people, young and old, gather after dawn for group exercise sessions which help take their minds off the problems caused by the conflicts plaguing the country.
    This initiative, now dubbed ‘Best Team’, began in 2017 when a handful of retired state servants decided to gather in parks to let off some steam and workout.
    "Instead of a person being trapped within four walls, he now has an outlet, a spiritual and physical outlet to move beyond stress, depression and psychological pressures,” said participant Abdul-Aziz Najmuddeen.
    With no fees and no dress code for the exercise sessions, the idea has gained a large following and many other groups have popped up in other parts of the city.
    Now, the exercise sessions attract around 800 participants who gather in 13 parks and playgrounds across the city.
    Eight years of conflict in Yemen have disrupted healthcare systems and plunged millions into poverty. Yemenis must also deal with the psychological stress of living through conflict.
    (Production: Adel al-Khadher, Abdulrahman al-Ansi, Khaled Abdullah)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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