Hundreds of Muslim women in Derby have taken part in weekly exercise sessions at a Pakistani Community Centre in Normanton, a grassroots effort organisers say has improved physical and mental health while pushing back against cultural barriers and everyday racism.
About 300 women have attended the female-only classes over the past three years, organisers said, joining activities that range from Pilates to swimming and soccercise. Participants describe gains in confidence and mobility, and some have moved from attending classes to training as coaches to expand the programme.
Participants and organisers said the classes were created in response to long-standing barriers that keep many Muslim women inactive, including cultural expectations about women’s roles, safety concerns, and the lack of single-sex, faith-sensitive facilities. Research from Sport England shows 42% of British Muslim women are classed as inactive, almost double the figure for the female population as a whole. Census data cited by campaigners indicates about 30% of British Muslim women aged 65 or older report their health as "bad or very bad," compared with 13% of females overall.
Selina, a pseudonym used to protect her identity, told the BBC she had first tried a local female sports team but left after experiencing racism and exclusion. "I got picked last because I wore the hijab, they wouldn't call me Selina, they'd call me hijabi, so I stopped going," she said. After giving birth she fell into depression and struggled with her health. Finding the community centre's classes helped her regain confidence; she is now training to be a coach to lead sessions there.
Other women described navigating family opposition to take part. Habiba, 68, who also used a pseudonym, said she initially attended sessions in secret after hearing about swimming and Pilates classes that could ease her arthritis. "My husband says 'you don't need to do this,'" she said. "I make sure I cook, clean and everything is done in the house before I leave, so he can't complain when I'm not there." She said regular exercise reduced joint pain and improved mobility.
Organisers said practical changes at local leisure facilities helped make exercise possible for women who had been discouraged by privacy or cultural concerns. Tahira, a swimming coach at the centre, said modifications such as blinds for privacy and appointing female lifeguards gave participants the reassurance they needed. "We have blinds so no-one can look in, female lifeguards and I stand by the doors so the women feel safe and secure," she said. Tahira told researchers she had been too embarrassed to go for even a walk when she was younger; she now coaches and encourages others to take up sport.
The project was initially set up by Amjad Ashraf and the DE23 Active team, part of a five-year initiative to promote physical activity in Normanton and Arboretum wards. Ashraf, who is also a member of the Derby Health Inequalities Partnership, said his community research identified multiple barriers: safety concerns, the priority placed on household chores, and faith-related needs such as same-sex spaces.
"In certain households, families weren't comfortable initially in sending women out into spaces for physical activity as it has stigma and taboo attached to it," he said. "It's about educating people so we overcome that taboo that's linked with physical activity."
Derby health data and local council figures underline organisers' concerns. Census information shows the largest ethnic group in the relevant wards is of Asian background and Islam is the most widely practised religion. The Health Foundation cited Normanton and Arboretum as among the city's wards with some of the lowest life expectancy rates; local authority figures show average lifespans for both women and men in those areas can be as much as 10 years lower than in other parts of Derby. Campaigners link the gap to concentrated deprivation and the associated barriers to healthy living.
Women involved in the centre said the classes produced social as well as physical benefits. Neighbours Hawa and Anaiya, who attend Pilates and IT sessions, said they now take part in medical appointments and community activities without the shyness that once held them back. "We're very confident now," Anaiya said. "Before we came here we were very shy," Hawa added.
Organisers and participants said the project also carried an educational aim: to change perceptions in families and the wider community so more women can access exercise and the health benefits it brings. Some who began as participants have been encouraged to teach others, helping to expand attendance and normalise activity among older and more conservative households.
The community centre's approach has drawn attention from local government and public health groups seeking ways to reduce health inequalities. Organisers say continued funding, culturally sensitive facilities and engagement with families are critical to sustaining the gains.
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