StrongHer, an initiative by the Goethe-Institut Pakistan in collaboration with MatrixFit Pakistan, held a holistic fitness and wellbeing event on Saturday as a pathway to women’s empowerment.
MatrixFit is a performance training centre for functional fitness whereas StrongHer brings together women from all walks of life to connect, learn, and lead. The event aimed to encourage participants to pause, recharge and leave feeling stronger — together.
Saman Ghani Khan, trauma-informed life coach, told the event, which was held at the Beach Luxury Hotel, that the idea of rest and recovery could be uncomfortable for many people, especially when they did not feel safe or were conditioned to remain restless.
“The first step to resting is to start paying attention to things you’ve long ignored,” she said. “A nervous system reset is a really wonderful thing, but it starts with being honest and genuinely wanting to know what your nervous system needs. That requires noticing how your body responds when you say no to rest.”
She added, “The mind often lies to us about pain, but the body keeps the score—it never lies. From a young age, our minds are trained to stay in control, and it takes time to give the mind permission to relinquish that control in order to truly rest.”
Beenish Kajani, a human resource and sales professional, noted that post-COVID flexibility in working hours had enabled people to choose their own pace. “This gives people space to take breaks or slow down, and it’s no longer considered taboo,” she said.
She highlighted the rise of returnship programmes in the corporate sector, which allowed individuals to take a break, raise children, care for parents or simply rest, and return to work on their own terms. “Such initiatives provide women with space to re-enter the workforce and choose how many hours they want to contribute, as long as they’re productive and deliver results,” she said.
Moderator of the session, Sarah Munir, an expert in storytelling and technology, emphasised that rest is gender-agnostic and equally important for everyone.
Parishae Adnan, chief executive officer (CEO) of the House of Amir Adnan, stressed the need for recognising early signs of burnout or emotional triggers. “Even when you have to push yourself, there needs to be baseline requirements that keep you mentally well—like proper hydration, three meals a day and eight hours of sleep.”
German Olympian and elite athlete Christina Hering shared her hopes for greater female participation in sports in Pakistan. “I want to see more women not only playing sports here, but also competing, so we can meet on the world stage,” she said.
Yasmin Hyder, CEO of New World Concepts Pakistan, said it was an honour to host a two-time Olympian in Pakistan for the first time. “Christina’s visit highlights the potential for sports diplomacy between Pakistan and Germany. There is so much we can learn from countries like Germany, where sports, wellness and fitness are integral part of everyday life.”
