Women are ‘Here to Play’

Women are leading the game. Nowadays, women are not just in the bleachers watching men play it rough in the field. Now they are turning the tables and showing that women, too, are ready to conquer the field.

Sports are not only good for women as an outlet to show their competitive side. It can also change their lives by helping them to be healthier with regular physical activity through training.

This is the reason why everyone is encouraged to get moving and be more active.

AIA Tottenham Hotspur Senior Development Coach and Former midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur Women’s Team, Shannon Moloney shares how to live healthier, longer, and have a better life through sports.

Women get moving through sports

According to Shannon, exercise not only makes you feel good, but it enables you to have fun, challenge yourself, and ensure that you stay fit and healthy.

“There are so many sports to try and participate in: from football to swimming, walking, hiking, dancing. The list is just endless. All sports work out different muscle groups and help you live a healthy life. It is healthy as it strengthens your heart and lungs as well as bones and muscles. Playing sports with a balanced diet can reduce the chances of diseases and illnesses,” adds Shannon.

One clinical journal shares that women generally sit longer than men, which means that women might face risks of different illnesses for being less active.

Shannon encourages women to get moving and not be afraid to start. She even shares that what inspired her to become a football coach is that she wanted to be a role model for women and girls to show them that it is possible to play a sport at a professional level that is typically male-dominated.

“Women can do whatever they want to do. Gender doesn’t matter, they just have fun and enjoy it,” shares Shannon.

As women tend to have a nurturing nature, sometimes they neglect their health and well-being by focusing on their mission, task or caring for the people around them. However, it is time for women to do something good for their own health.

For Shannon, women can play football as well as any gender. “Football is a team sport, so it is great to build on teamwork, resilience, and confidence, as well as helping women get fitter, faster and stronger. Not forgetting how much fun it is to play football. There are always challenges in every sport, but sometimes it is the opportunity to play with women only,” explains Shannon.

Here to Play with AIA

AIA Here to Play is an annual event that brings people together. This year it held the first ‘Vitality Women’s Kampeon Cup’ last April 2023 – a seven-a-side football that allowed seven women players from each competing team to play football and show people that women, too, can rough it up in the pitch .

Teams from Batangas, Taguig, Cebu, Muntinlupa, Palawan, and Pampanga all had their share of weekend excitement while showing their competitive side.

For the coach, Here to Play brings to life AIA’s purpose of helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. The event, through a range of sporting activities and healthy food stalls, gave participants—especially women—a taste of all they need to live a healthier, longer and better life one day.

AIA Here to Play gave event participants a chance to participate in various physical activities, with some led by professional coaches, giving them an opportunity to get into new ones they have never tried before.

In addition to this, the event also provides healthy food alternatives that participants can try.

Watch out for future AIA Here to Play events! To know more about AIA Philippines, visit their website and Facebook page.

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