Muslim Women Remove Barriers to Exercise

Al-Gassra became the first athlete to wear a hijab during an Olympic competition.

At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Al-Gassra became the first athlete to wear a hijab during an Olympic competition. This summer, she entered the 2008 Olympics in Beijing ranked 7th in the world. As her country's flag-bearer, Al-Gassra distinguished herself by winning her heats in the first two rounds of the 200m and ranking 11th in the semifinals (Mail Online; Athlete Biography: Al-Gassra Roqaya).

She attributes part of her success to wearing the "Hijood" (hijab and hood combined) Sports Top, which was custom made for her by Ahiida, an Australian company that specializes in modest swimwear.

Advent of Modest Sportswear

Indeed, many companies are recognizing the increasing worldwide demand for modest exercise clothing.

On the other side of the world, California-based Splashgear offers a different style of swimwear than its Australian competitor. The pants are made out of a light, very quick drying fabric that surfers wear and which are designed not to creep up the legs in the water.

Founder Shereen Sabet described herself to IslamOnline.net (IOL) as a Muslim who "grew up secularly but began practicing my Islam in adulthood." She wondered how she could still enjoy water activities as a devout, modestly-dressed, Muslim woman.

She began her quest for proper Islamic water attire, which ultimately resulted in developing her own line of swimwear. Most of her customers are Muslim, but as it turns out, her product also is popular with conservative Christians and Jewish women, older women, women with sun sensitivity, and women with physical traits that they want to cover.

I wear a Spalshgear swimsuit and have received lots of positive feedback from non-Muslims, who nearly always assume that I am avoiding the sun for health reasons.

Several other companies offer modest swimwear as well, including Acquagym, Hasema, Primo Moda, and Sajeda to name a few. Indeed, modest swimwear's popularity is increasing to the point where it is now being offered alongside traditional, more revealing swimsuits (swimoutlet.com). In today's market, finding modest swimwear should no longer be a barrier to water activities.

Finding modest sportswear is a little trickier.

Mother of All Invention

"Although my hijab is not as aerodynamic as the one Al-Gassra wears, it is comfortable and cool and I dare say attractive."

I love to run. Albeit, I run much slower than I used to, but I still find a morning run the quickest, most effective way for me to burn calories. I often run after Fajr before my husband leaves for work and can watch our children. It seems so trivial now, but one of the reasons that I delayed covering after converting was my concern that I would have to give up running.

The problem was not with finding modest shirts and pants. A few companies offer Islamic sportswear, but I prefer to wear loose pants and extra-large, long-sleeved shirts for men, both specifically designed for running and made out of fabrics such as Coolmax or Nike Dri-FIT. This material wicks perspiration away from the skin, keeping you cool and dry. It is far superior to cotton, which absorbs water and can become heavy when wet.

My problem was that I could not find a comfortable hijab. The Hijood is not yet available to non-Olympians (although the website states that it is coming soon!) And whereas the two-piece, tighter fitting, Al-Amira-style hijab seemed to be the best design option, they are made of cotton, polyester, or a blend — materials that make you hot and wet when you sweat.

In my search for the perfect hijab to run in, I discovered that necessity is truly the mother of all invention. When I could not find something suitable, I decided to make my own, even though I do not know how to sew.

My favorite "SportsJab" is the pink one in the picture. I bought a baseball cap made of this perspiration-wicking fabric and added extra cloth. I could not purchase small quantities of this fabric so I bought running shirts and cut them to a very simple pattern that I designed.

I then sewed the cut fabric to the hat rim. Although my hijab is not as aerodynamic as the one Al-Gassra wears, it is comfortable and cool and I dare say attractive. Many Muslim women I know have complimented it and want to know where they can buy one.

The point here is that clothing need not stop you from exercising whether you are an Olympian or just interested in shedding a few pounds and keeping healthy.

Complicated

Now that the clothing excuse is gone, it is time to tackle the others. All health experts agree that exercise should be a part of most people's daily routine. The few studies involving Muslim women suggest that physical inactivity is widespread.

In addition to dress, other barriers identified include a lack of social support, time, opportunity, transportation, financial means, and knowledge that exercise is beneficial to health. Some barriers are cultural-specific; some shared by women all over the world.

Physical inactivity is a complicated public health problem, which will require a multifaceted and long-term approach to address.

Although culture can be a barrier to physical activity, it also can promote it in some segments of a society. Seema, a mother of two who moved to Saudi Arabia as a child and engaged in numerous physical activities growing up, told IOL that Saudi Arabia "has a deep understanding of the needs of Muslim women and considers them extremely important. Therefore, all services provided for women are arranged in the context of Islam, allowing women to benefit from all the best facilities in an environment that has been arranged specifically to address their unique needs."

Even if a culture supports exercising, individual factors play their own role as reported by several women interviewed by IOL. Farhana, who was born in Bangladesh, lived in Kuwait, and now lives in the US, feels that "Muslim women themselves are the biggest barrier" to exercising.

Ozlem, a native of Turkey, seems to agree. "I think will power is an important thing in my case," she said. "I make excuses like I'm sleepy; my husband wouldn't let me; if I go out after Fajr for a walk, something will happen to me; I will be very tired the rest of the day; if only I had somebody exercising with me."

Achieving Your Goals

"I am confident that other Muslim women can overcome many of the barriers they face." (Photo from Ahiida Burqini Swimwear)

If you are not exercising now or would like to increase your level of physical activity, make a list of all the things that are preventing you from achieving your goals.

Next to each item in the list, brainstorm ways to overcome it. For example, if you would like to exercise with other women, start an "exercise club" with your friends.

Don't be too ambitious. Initially, plan to meet once or twice a week for a walk in the neighborhood or some other activity that interests the group. If you cannot find friends who want to exercise, join a woman's gym where you will be surrounded by like-minded people. If that fails, try exercising alone. You just might relish the solitude, especially if "me-time" is scarce!

If you have childcare issues that prevent you from exercising, swap babysitting times with other mothers. I have a good friend who sometimes watches my children for a few hours while I run. If that is not an option, exercise with your children.

You can place younger children in strollers or sports carriers while you walk or jog. You can ride bikes, swim, and do almost all sorts of other sports with older children.

Remember that you do not need to be an Olympian to be physically fit or skinny and muscular to enjoy exercise. You do not need expensive equipment or a fancy gym to expend energy. Be creative, and incorporate exercise into daily activities — use the stairs, park farther away and walk, bike to the store, and so on.

Figure out what works for you, and work around your abilities, interests, and means. If a non-sewer like me is able to make a sports hijab, I am confident that other Muslim women can overcome many of the barriers they face.

The important thing is that you recognize the importance of physical activity, determine what is preventing you from doing it, and commit to making exercise a part of your routine.

Al-Gassra stated that she hopes by wearing the Hijood, she "will inspire other women to see that modesty or religious beliefs don't have to be a barrier to participating in competitive sports." (Australian Trade Commision)

You have, Sister Roqaya, inspired far more of us than you might have imagined. Race on!

Sources:

"Athlete Biography: Al-Gassra Roqaya." The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Aug. 2008. Accessed 15 Sep. 2008.

Firth, Niall. "Muslim Sprinter Wins Olympic Sprint Dressed Head to Toe in Hijab." Mail Online. 2008. Accessed 15 Sep. 2008.

"No Bother at All: Bahrain Sprinter Al Ghasara Says Muslim Dress Only Makes Her Faster." International Herald Tribune. 2006.

"Olympic Runner to Cut a Dashing Figure in Aussie Hijood."Australian Trade Commission. 2008. Accessed 15 Sep. 2008.

SwimOutlet.com. Accessed 15 Sep. 2008.

J. Samia Mair is a freelance writer and home schooler. Prior to her current work, she was a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where her research focused on violence prevention and promoting the health of vulnerable populations such as prisoners and children. She is the associate editor of a peer-reviewed scientific journal and has many scientific publications in peer-reviewed literature. Prior to research, she practiced law for nearly a decade. You can contact her by sending an e-mail to ScienceTech@iolteam.com.