Muslim Women in physical activity and exercise

My opinion on sport being only for the male gender is that this is definitely not true and it is silly to believe such a thing as physical activity, exercise and sport are the only ways in which one can stay healthy. I think that all women should take part regardless of what males or other females say as exercise has numerous benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, preventing high cholesterol and many other things.

My family have supported me in physical activities, exercise and sport, my dad in particular, he has always pushed me in sports ever since I was young and if it wasn't for his support I would not be physically active like I am now. My dad still pushes me and supports me in going to the gym on a daily basis however my uncles disapprove and would prefer me not to as they do not think it is important or necessary for me to do so. 

Participating in physical activity, exercise and sport is important in my opinion. This is because I think that it is vital to keep active in order to stay healthy and prevent illness. It is also a natural stress relief for me and can instantly change my mood which is why I would say that if you do not enjoy exercise, you should try something light for at least 20 minutes a day, brisk walking for example just to clear your mind.

My feelings on participation in open, mix gender surroundings differ depending upon what sport it is I am taking part in. for example, dance, dancing amongst or in front of the opposite gender (males), I would not feel comfortable with as some dancing can come across as provocative and as a Muslim this would be against my religion. Another reason being, the clothing, clothing worn in dance could be inappropriate which would not be respectable to wear in front of the opposite gender. However, in other sports or physical activities such as running and going to the gym I would not have a problem participating in amongst males as I don’t see there being anything wrong with doing so as long as the clothing worn is appropriate.

I believe that physical activity and exercise are both extremely important in order to maintain a healthy life. I feel that it is important for individuals both physically and mentally. In my opinion without physical activity or exercise, you are putting yourself at risk of many illnesses (heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity etc.) in the long run and in order to prevent these you need to keep physically active.

What are your past experiences in physical activity, exercise and sport?