NYTimes: Exercise Tailored to a Hijab

[SkinsNumberOne]

A nice article on how Muslim women adapt their traditions in Western culture. I found the whole article interesting and included one excerpt below.

NYTimes: Exercise Tailored to a Hijab

THE first time Julia Shearson rode her bike after converting to Islam seven years ago, her headscarf became stuck in the wheel.

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She lost her balance, and by the time she got going again she was met with stares as she whizzed along, arms and legs draped in loose clothing, her scarf billowing in the breeze.

“You have to overcome the looks,” said Ms. Shearson, 43, the executive director of the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islam Relations. “It’s already hard enough to exercise, and if you look different ... it’s even harder.”

As a Muslim woman in the United States, Ms. Shearson has found it difficult to stay fit while adhering to her religious principles about modesty. Islam does not restrict women from exercising — in fact all Muslims are urged to take care of their bodies through healthy eating and exercise — but women face a special set of challenges in a culture of co-ed gyms and skimpy workout wear.

Many pious Muslim women in the United States, like Ms. Shearson, wear hijab in public, loose garments that cover their hair and body, which can hinder movement and add to discomfort during exercise. Women may show their hair, arms and legs up to the knees in front of other women.

(...)

After gaining 50 pounds while pregnant with her first child, Ms. Ibrahim studied exercise and nutrition, and became certified through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. In 2006 she opened her studio, which offers a safe environment for women to exercise (she says she has more orthodox Jewish clients, who also adhere to rules of modesty).

(click link for full article)

[Brad_Edwards_Fan]

Interesting seeing common problems (and business utilized to solve them) between two groups so frequently at odds with each other (Jews and Muslims).

[SkinsNumberOne]

Interesting seeing common problems (and business utilized to solve them) between two groups so frequently at odds with each other (Jews and Muslims).

Stories like this are out there, but it's much more fun to talk about the jerks I guess.