Physical Activity Among Muslim Women in Majority and Minority Settings: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators
This mixed-methods systematic review identifies that promoting physical activity among Muslim women requires context-sensitive, multi-level strategies that address barriers like modesty concerns and lack of safe spaces while leveraging facilitators such as religious motivation and culturally tailored programming, with distinct challenges and solutions emerging between majority and minority settings.
Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer
Movement is a fundamental part of human health, acting as a shield against major illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Yet, for a significant portion of the global population, the simple act of exercising remains fraught with invisible hurdles. This is particularly true for Muslim women, a group whose experiences with physical activity have often been overlooked in global health research. To understand why this matters, one must look at how human behavior is shaped not just by personal will, but by a web of surrounding forces. These forces range from an individual's own beliefs and confidence to the people they live with, the rules of their community, the facilities available in their neighborhood, and the laws passed by their government. When these layers interact, they can either open a path to a healthy life or build a wall that keeps people from moving.
A new systematic review brings these complex layers into focus by gathering evidence from around the world to ask a single, clear question: what stops Muslim women from being active, and what helps them start? The researchers did not look at this issue through a single lens. Instead, they collected and analyzed eleven different studies conducted between the years 2000 and 2024. These studies took place in eight different countries, covering both nations where Muslims make up the majority of the population and places where they are a minority. The review included the voices of 816 women, ranging in age from 18 to 55, who shared their experiences through interviews, focus groups, and surveys. By weaving together these diverse stories and numbers, the authors mapped out the specific barriers that block participation and the factors that encourage it.
The investigation revealed that the obstacles Muslim women face are rarely simple or isolated. Instead, they are often a tangled knot of issues that reinforce one another. The most pervasive barrier identified was the lack of safe, appropriate spaces. For many women, the desire to exercise is genuine, but the environment makes it impossible. In many places, there are no gyms or pools that offer privacy or separate areas for women. When facilities are mixed or require clothing that conflicts with religious values of modesty, women feel exposed and uncomfortable. One woman in the studies described how guards at a pool would stare and question her attire, leading her to stop going entirely. This lack of suitable space does more than just limit options; it chips away at a woman's confidence, making her feel that she does not belong in the world of sports.
This environmental failure is often compounded by social pressures. The review found that family dynamics and community expectations play a massive role. In some contexts, a woman's ability to leave the house for exercise depends on the permission of male family members, such as husbands or fathers-in-law. Even when a woman is personally motivated, the fear of judgment from neighbors or the strict rules of a conservative household can keep her indoors. In Muslim-majority countries, these restrictions often stem from a combination of traditional gender roles and a lack of institutional support for female sports. In Western countries where Muslims are a minority, the pressure is different but equally heavy. Here, women often navigate a double burden: they must manage expectations from their own religious communities while also facing a mainstream fitness culture that can be unwelcoming or discriminatory toward those who wear visible signs of their faith, such as the hijab.
However, the review also highlighted that religion itself is not the enemy of physical activity. In fact, Islamic teachings often emphasize health and wellbeing. The problem arises not from faith, but from the failure of societies to accommodate it. When facilities are designed with cultural sensitivity—offering women-only hours, appropriate changing rooms, or modest swimwear options—religious values can become a powerful motivator rather than a barrier. The researchers found that when women felt supported by their families and communities, and when they had access to safe spaces, their participation rates improved significantly.
The study draws a clear distinction between the challenges faced in Muslim-majority nations versus those in minority settings. In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, the primary hurdles are often structural: extreme heat that limits outdoor activity, a lack of indoor facilities, and policies that restrict women's sports. In contrast, women in the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand face a unique set of pressures where they must constantly negotiate between two different cultural worlds. They might feel the need to hide their identity to fit into a secular gym, or they might face suspicion from their own community for exercising in public.
Ultimately, the authors conclude that fixing this issue requires more than just telling women to exercise more. It demands a coordinated effort that addresses the problem at every level. This means building better infrastructure, creating policies that fund women-only spaces, training staff to be culturally aware, and fostering community support that encourages rather than restricts movement. The evidence suggests that when these layers are aligned, Muslim women are eager and able to participate. The path forward is not about changing the women, but about changing the world around them to make movement possible for everyone.
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