By Martina Kardashian-Sieger

When local breast cancer patient, Lilit Ayvazyan, mentioned her inability to afford chemotherapy, Yerevan-based personal trainer Daniel Jacknouz decided to organize a fitness-themed fundraiser on her behalf.

Hosted by the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan, the “Fight Cancer” event featured a “Les Mills” Body Combat class — a 55-minute, high-intensity, non-contact, mixed-martial arts inspired workout. The event, which took place last November, was successful in raising enough funds for Lilit’s next round of chemotherapy.

Jacknouz was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, the son of Syrian-Armenians. He has been a master trainer at Gold’s Gym in Yerevan since 2014 and has a certification for instructing Les Mills courses — an international fitness program popular across 100 countries worldwide.

For Jacknouz, the event had two purposes: to raise enough money for a local woman’s cancer treatment, and to spread awareness about the benefits of fitness in Armenia.

“I wanted to teach this combat class in a setting where local people could see just how fun and accessible group exercise can be,” says Jacknouz.

Jacknouz’s introduction into Yerevan’s fitness scene is unsurprising; he himself struggled with obesity just six years ago, before losing forty kilograms, which he credits to group fitness regimes like Les Mills.

Following his transformation, Jacknouz even went on to pursue a career in the fitness industry and has since made it into the ranks of Yerevan’s most coveted personal trainers.

Jacknouz is not alone in his previous struggles with obesity.

Obesity is a Growing Problem in Armenia

Obesity in Armenia is a growing issue. As per World Health Organization (WHO) standards, a Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 25 to 30 is considered overweight, while a BMI above 30 falls within the obesity category.  

According to the WHO’s 2016 STEPS National survey on the Republic of Armenia,

the mean BMI of both sexes in the country is 25.8, which suggests the average Armenian is overweight. The report also indicates that obesity in the country could be as high as 20%, making a fifth of the population highly susceptible to related conditions such as high cholesterol and blood pressure.

Yet, according to the STEPS report, gym attendance rates in the country are markedly low. While more than 91% of Armenians are aware of the harmful impact of physical inactivity, only 32.2% of men and 11.1% of women regularly engage in vigorous physical activity.

What’s Keeping Armenians Out of the Gym?

Some point out that the steep prices of luxury gyms in Yerevan, such as Gold’s Gym, Reebok Sports Club, and Orange Fitness, make them inaccessible to the general public. At over $100 for a 30-day membership in a city where the average worker earns a mere $310 a month, it’s not surprising that membership in these luxury centers is reserved for Yerevan’s elite.

The STEPS data, however, indicates that there isn’t a huge discrepancy in the rate of obesity between varying socioeconomic groups. Insufficient physical activity is defined as less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, or the equivalent.  The highest earning demographic group in Armenia is 58.4% physically inactive, while the two lowest earning groups are 57.9% and 48.8% inactive, respectively. In other words, it’s not crazy prices that are keeping Armenians out of the gym.

“Financial concerns are a huge excuse,” insists Jacknouz. “There are many affordable facilities all across Yerevan and so many means of exercising that don’t involve going to the gym,” he explains.  

The Head of Health System Performance Assessment at the National Institute of Health, Diana Andreasyan, echoes this sentiment. “Yerevan isn’t like Europe or the US. People don’t just go for a run in the park or ride their bikes around town,” she says.

There are few opportunities for youth, especially, to engage in sports and other activities.

“Some schools have stopped physical education classes altogether,” says Dr. Andreasyan.  “Factor in the poor diets at public school and youth become even more likely to develop obesity,” she adds.

Jacknouz believes that more public events engaging the public in group exercise could be the key to stemming the tide of obesity in Armenia.

Photos by Daniel Jacknouz

Martina Kardashian-Sieger is an Armenian-American journalist born and raised in the New York metropolitan area. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Russian Language from the American University’s School of International Service in Washington, D.C., and has been living in Yerevan since August 2018.