A Pioneer in Fitness, Wellness, and Female Empowerment
In a region where fitness and wellness for women are still burgeoning concepts, Maya Nassar stands as an icon of strength, determination, and transformation. A fitness influencer, nutrition expert, entrepreneur, and mother of four, Nassar has not only redefined her own life but has also inspired countless women across the Middle East to prioritize their health and well-being. With a journey that began with her losing 20 kilograms of fat naturally and evolved into reshaping female bodybuilding culture in Lebanon, Maya Nassar is far more than a fitness influencer—she is a trailblazer for female empowerment.
From Personal Transformation to Regional Inspiration
Maya’s influence transcends her personal story. Her achievements include becoming the first female athlete in the Arab world to represent her country in fitness modeling, earning nine prestigious trophies in the United Kingdom. These accolades have cemented her legacy and paved the way for women in the Middle East to break barriers and redefine societal norms.
Nassar’s innovative spirit also led her to launch the first-ever fitness mobile app in the region, endorsed by the Lebanese Minister of Sports. The app quickly became the top fitness app on the Apple Store, competing with global platforms, and has empowered thousands of women with accessible fitness tools and resources.
Holistic Health and Motherhood Advocacy
Beyond fitness, Maya Nassar is committed to promoting holistic health. Collaborating with a gynecologist for two years, she developed the Middle East’s first online holistic pregnancy program, addressing misconceptions about exercising during pregnancy. The program encourages women to stay active during pregnancy, helping them lead healthier lives and combat outdated myths.
As a hands-on entrepreneur, Nassar is also the owner of Start Living Right, a boutique gym with three branches in Lebanon, offering a comprehensive range of services including physiotherapy, nutrition, and personal training. Her gyms embody her philosophy of achieving results through hard work, consistency, and sustainability.
Breaking Taboos Through Media and Awareness
Maya’s impact extends beyond fitness centers and apps. Through her media platforms, including her show on Virgin Radio Stars Lebanon, she tackles taboo topics like postpartum depression and mental health, sparking open conversations that break stigmas and raise awareness. Her advocacy is deeply personal—Maya has openly shared her experiences with postpartum depression to help others understand and navigate the challenges of motherhood.
A Role Model for Women Across the Middle East
Maya Nassar’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and empowerment. She is an inspiration for women across the region, demonstrating that societal norms can be challenged and personal goals can be achieved. Her dedication to fitness, health, and women’s empowerment continues to shape a brighter future for generations to come.
Through her gyms, media presence, and digital initiatives, Maya Nassar is more than a fitness trailblazer; she is a beacon of hope and empowerment for countless women. Her commitment to breaking barriers and inspiring others ensures her legacy will resonate for years to come.
Exclusive Interview with Maya Nassar
1. What inspired you to start your fitness journey and turn it into a career?
I had an unhealthy lifestyle with zero exercise and an unhealthy diet, which accumulated over time. I gained a lot of weight to the point that none of my clothes fit me anymore, and I had zero self-confidence. I used to get sick all the time and had a weak immune system. Also, I suffer from asthma and had difficulty walking up the stairs and would often be out of breath. I decided that I didn’t want to be the person who is out of shape, unhealthy, and has zero self-confidence.
My fitness journey changed my life for the better. It made me healthy, happy, confident, and transformed me into a better person. I learned about discipline and dedication, which helped me reach other challenging goals in my life. This new lifestyle was so addictive, and I loved it so much that I wanted to help other people who were struggling like my old self. This was my turning point, and when I decided to make it a career.
2. As the first Arab female athlete to represent your country in fitness modeling, how did that achievement shape your mission to empower women?
This experience taught me that the sky was the limit. My old self was too insecure to walk around on the beach, and suddenly I was being endorsed to represent Lebanon in fitness modeling and compete against other women who looked perfect, in my opinion. This taught me that when you want something bad enough, you can bring it to life. I wanted to share my story with others and help other women achieve any challenging goals they had in their life.
3. What challenges did you face launching the first fitness app in the Middle East, and how did you overcome them?
When I first started my fitness journey, I created a free website with information and advice to help others learn from my experience and reach their fitness goals. My website wasn’t trying to sell anything, but simply to help people.
There are many fitness scams, and I was promoting that the only way to achieve a healthy lifestyle or lose weight was to work hard for it. Quick fixes are appealing because they sell, and most people don’t want to do the effort of being on a diet and exercising. I later developed my website into a mobile application and added more features to reach more people.
My biggest challenges were making sure the app was always working well and promoting the app to reach enough people. I’m someone who always finds solutions to problems and would learn and improve my app based on trial and error and feedback from my users. I’m proud to say that the app reached more than 100,000 downloads in the Middle East.
4. How does your holistic pregnancy program challenge misconceptions about fitness during pregnancy?
Unfortunately, there is a misconception that pregnant women should not exercise as it can be dangerous for the mom and the unborn baby. Women are also advised not to lift weights. This is nothing more than a myth, and the purpose of my program was to correct these misconceptions and encourage more women to exercise during their pregnancies.
It helps you have a healthier and easier pregnancy and also has so many health benefits for the mom and the baby. I was so excited to raise awareness and use my experience to encourage more pregnant women to start exercising. I’ve had four kids and exercised from my very first day until right before giving birth, sometimes on the same day that I delivered.
5. In what ways do your gyms, Start Living Right, reflect your philosophy on fitness and wellness?
I’m the owner of a boutique gym with three branches, and they reflect my philosophy because we promote hard work and results. We do not sell scams, false promises, or anything unhealthy and unsustainable.
We work with real fitness professionals, and everyone on our team is carefully selected. We guarantee results and inform our clients that they will only ever see results if they work hard, follow a healthy diet, and exercise consistently.
6. What advice would you give to women struggling to prioritize their health and fitness in a demanding lifestyle?
I would advise them to think about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Along with feeling happier, more confident, and having more energy, their life will change for the better, and even their productivity and relationships will improve.
My advice is for them to write down their goals and form an emotional attachment to them. Let them define why they want to live a healthy lifestyle and how their life will change for the better.
7. Looking ahead, what are your next goals in expanding your impact on women’s health and empowerment?
At the moment, I am hosting a radio show on Virgin Radio Stars in Lebanon, where I use my platform to raise awareness about important subjects such as health, fitness, and mental health.
Other than this, I will plan to be active by speaking in more forums, workshops, on my radio show, and on social media. My gym is also constantly expanding and growing bigger, and by opening more branches, we can reach and empower more people.
