Hate exercise? - a powerful solution

According to one article I read, most women do not like to exercise or do sports.

MERMAID POSE in PILATES

I'm not surprised. Personally I hate exercise. All those reps and circuits can get so boring.
Sports was more my thing. Especially team sports.
Playing a sport is what people do together, and so it becomes more about the social aspect of the activity instead of the activity itself. But it requires a level of commitment that most women cannot give when they're building careers and families. Nobody wants to let their team down by not showing up because they had to work late or attend to their families.

So we're left with exercise as the only way to keep fit and healthy. Bleh!
Each minute, each rep feels like a lifetime.


I've tried many different approaches to this, to try and enjoy it and hopefully do more exercise.
But it doesn't change the boring-ness of exercise.
Sports was also a mental game. There was strategy involved.
Exercise only requires that you're able to count reps.

So if you're not a gym-bunny nor an exercise junkie, what's next?

Forget the motivational quotes and pep-talks. It doesn't work here, and doesn't last longer than that first minute into the exercise routine.

When you know you have to do something about your weight, your health or your fitness and you don't have a personal trainer to push you and hold you accountable, then there's only one thing left to do. 

In the words of another famous sports brand: Just do it!

GOOD OLD FASHIONED ROPE SKIPPING

Sports hijab and athletic performance - addressing key factors

Back in my netball, tennis and very active sports playing teenage days, which have since been replaced with family duties, I read an in a sports magazine about how athletes use all their senses when competing.

Watch an ATP tennis match. Pick any of the fastest servers in the league and you'll see that they hit the ball so hard that travels towards their opponent at speeds over 220km/hour!

I doubt any of their opponents can see the ball coming towards them. Perhaps all they can make out is a yellow streak. But it's so fast, it's difficult to judge with eyesight alone the direction it is going and precisely where it is going to land. Getting there before it bounces past them, is difficult.

According to the article I read, hearing the ball being hit and landing nearby, helps to judge more accurately it's direction. Hearing the THWACK of it being hit by your opponent, gives an idea of timing, of when to move. Together with eyesight, judging the ball's direction and timing it's landing is easier with teamwork of the senses.

Now for a hijabi girl, this may be problematic. Layers of fabric over the ears can affect hearing, particularly if there is more than one layer.  More denser fabrics can flaps against your ears causing distracting and annoying noises.

That day, many years ago, I thought to my teenage self, This is it!
This is what Muslim women's sportswear is all about. It's not just style, design and colours. But functionality and performance enhancement too. That day I sketched my first design. And improved on it a little at a time.

The new sports hijab Pioneer 800 range has less gathering of fabric at the neck and a longer, though compact front panel to cover small to larger chest sizes. It's a simpler design, offering comfort and modesty.

In the side-view sports hijab image above, I've edited the picture to emphasise the seams in the design. Two seams are visible, but neither cross over the ears eliminating noise caused by friction and irritation on the ears.

The Pioneer 800 range of sports hijabs, are based on the previous design of 2012, the Pioneer 700 range. However, the inner head band was removed as it added another layer over the ears getting in the way of a key factor I wanted the sports hijab to have. 

Like the 700 range, it comes in FIVE different sizes to give you the best balance between secure fit and comfort. Not to mention TEN different colours to choose from. And the fabric - it is still the same quality, moisture-wicking, quick-drying, breathable, lightweight fabric, designed for sports. All to keep you cool and dry while you play free.

*Currently retails for BWP320 or USD 37 or EURO 27 or MYR 117 or SGD46

Sports bras - Bounce control

If you are the type to wear your everyday bra to the gym or that iron-woman marathon, you may be jeopardising your breast health. Shockingly, 75% of women do not wear sports bras when exercising or doing sports!


Most sports bras are made to be worn on their own without any need to wear a shirt over it.
But covering up modestly does not mean you can toss on any bra that is in your undies drawer.

Sports bras have a very important function - protecting your breast tissue.

Exercise and sports involves a lot of fast, jerky movements. When your body quickly changes from one direction to another, the weight of your body plays against you. Great for toning and weight-loss, but bad for unsupported breasts. More specifically, the heavier your breasts the more damage is done by the sheer weight of the breast tissue itself. The larger your cup size, the more damage is done. Talk about attacking your own body!

Exercise, while good for overall health, can stretch ligaments that keep your breasts firm and (ahem) above your waistline. High impact exercise can damage the breast tissue itself which can be the cause of many other ailments in the long term. More commonly and cause for concern, exercise is one of the biggest causes of breasts sagging prematurely. Breasts have no muscle support, so once they sag no amount of toning or exercising is going to lift it back up again.

So now that you're convinced in switching your regular bra for a sports bra when you hit the gym, what next?

Choose the right one for your size with consideration of your type of exercise.
Higher impact activities require stronger support.

Sports bras styles such as the black and white duo below, are okay for A-cup to B-cup sizes, for any activity of low to high impact intensity. Though you may want to consider stronger support just to be sure. Larger cup sizes could wear these for low impact activities such as yoga, lifting light weights. 
The T-bar at the back is the main support of this bra, as it pulls your breasts closer to your body, not allowing them to swing in all directions which is the cause of tissue damage.

For stronger support, a must for C-cup sizes and above, consider sports bras that support each breast. They look more like regular bras, and may or may not have underwire. This purple one below, does not have underwire. 

The peachy coloured one, below has a definite shape to it supporting each breast and avoiding the one-boob effect. The stretchy fabric is part of the compression technology, which basically means it presses your breasts against your body restricting movement. 

Straps that criss-cross  at the back give it the support it needs for higher impact sports. Although not required, wider straps offer more support. Waistbands that can adjust width like a regular bra are a bonus ensuring a perfect fit everytime.

When fitting on a sports bra, the key point to remember is it should restrict movement as much as possible without feeling too uncomfortable or squeezing  too tight. You should be able to breathe easily, so that your body can supply oxygen to your brain when training!

Sports bras provide more modesty too. You don't have to worry about bouncing around under your sportswear as you exercise in the open. Everything is kept still and out of sight. Just the way we want it.

Hijab: Whatsit to you?

Hijab. It's such a loaded word. A topic that can polarise dinner party guests as quickly as dropping the word "carbohydrates" in a diet/weight loss conversation. It is so many things to so many different people.

Here is what hijab is to different people:
1. A representation of Muslim identity, and hence a sense of community is formed
2. A protest to modern day female objectification
3. The highest form of modesty
4. The highest form of Iman (belief in Allah)
5. A form of protection from unwanted male attention and advances
6. A form of protection from would be rapists
7. A form of true beauty
8. A cover that allows you to be taken at the value of your inner self, and not for your looks

Those are the good things, the 'promises' that we've all been told at one time or another about hijab.

There are also bad things about hijab, the list continues:
9. A burden
10. An unconscious mind-numbing habit, devoid of spiritual value
11. A people-pleaser
12. An obstruction and oppression against women
13. An outward appearance that covers up a 'bad' superficial personality

There is more to add to the list. But these are the common ideas of hijab that I've come across.
Are these false ideas? Do those 'promises' automatically come true for those who start wearing hijab?

A woman decides to wear hijab out of obedience to Allah (swt) hoping for its benefits, and then finds that some of these promises are never delivered. The truth is that hijab sometimes attracts more men, more unwanted male attention and advances. People still judge you for the way you look - in hijab! If you were hoping that you'd find a place in the Muslim community when you wear it, you may have been hurt to find you were shunned for some other silly reason anyway. These were all things we were told to encourage us to wear hijab. Sometimes these fall flat on their faces.

The same woman may continue on her hijab journey and a few years down the road, hijab becomes a burden, a habit. Since it never delivered on its promises, it seems somehow unnecessary. Even more so that she met really nice and pious Muslims who didn't wear hijab. She begins to question it all, "what is the point of it really?"

Haters may hate. And those that are perfect in themselves, will judge at this point.
But should she care? Not one bit.

Hijab is one small part of being Muslim. To those who have formed their identities around it, this is hard to accept. If you can get beyond the preaching moulanas and muftis who have over-emphasised hijab, and continue on your hijab journey asking questions, why? how? why? It may lead you to answers that bring you closer to Allah (swt). It's a scary path to take, because there are few who do it so boldly.
You lose friends, you feel alone. Yet, in truth we are always alone, with Allah (swt). What difference does it make?

Hijab is also a trial. It's regretful that it has come to a point where some people feel that once they wear it, their religion is complete. There is more to being Muslim than only wearing hijab.
Let's start with the five pillars, then there is kindness, charity, humility, over-coming ego, honesty, tolerance and consideration, gratitude...

I'm a choice person. Not a choice grade person, but a believer in free - will and making your own choices.
If your hijab journey leads you to a decision to remove it, for whatever reason, that's okay. Hijab can be an on and off thing. Perhaps not lawfully, but by its nature wearing hijab is a task. I don't think removing it lessens iman, or makes anyone less of a Muslim.

We all have to find our journey in Islam. It is not going to be the same for everyone. Some find it easy to wear hijab, and love it. Others struggle a little bit more with it, and yet find every other part of practising Islam a breeze.

In the end though, Allah (swt) mentions in Quran more of ingratitude and ungratefulness for His blessings and mercy than about wearing hijab. Arrogance is what gets punished throughout the revelations. That's a clue as to what is really important in life. Hijab is such a small part indeed. 

When you feel overwhelmed by something, it is a good thing to step away and step out of that overwhelming thing. This may or not mean, making a decision to remove hijab. That is a completely personal decision. 

Muslim women in Sport: culture vs religion

My article in Aquila Style online magazine. I did a little research into Muslim Women in Sport, particularly the restrictions imposed on us by culture and religion.

Click the picture to follow the link to the article.

Kulsoom Abdullah - weightlifter

How do we decide what is acceptable sports for public participation? Key is modesty

My post mentions tafseer, but I must make it clear that although I study Islam I do not claim to be a scholar who can say what is Islamic and what isn't. What I express below is my own opinion, observations of Muslim society, and my beliefs. This is of course, only a point for discussion.

I've recently come across statements against hijabi athletes participating in public. I've mentioned before how I've identified this attitude as one of the greatest barriers preventing women and girls from taking up sport for fun or as a career.

Some see it as undignified for women to run and jump in public view. So therefore such activities should be done out of sight of the public view, maybe behind closed doors.

Quoting the hadith of the Nabi(SAW) and young Hazrat Aish (RA), racing in the desert, saying no one was around when this race too place.

I've posted my discussion on this hadith here. But this hadith does not set out clear well-defined prohibitions against women doing sports in public.

I understand how some may consider running and jumping in public "undignified" behaviour for women. Though what constitutes "dignified" behaviour will vary from country to country and from culture to culture. Women who come from a culture where physical activity is limited or even repressed, will find even cycling a threat to their dignity and modesty. Some people view riding a scooter, in a normal sitting-but-upright position, unacceptable for women.

Yet, in other cultures, where women may be more physically active, may find it perfectly okay and do not feel "undignified" with the same activities. It may even be applauded.

Tafseer, is a learned human being's interpretation of Quran. Learned, but nonetheless tainted by their human qualities such as background, cultural beliefs. Which is why there are vast differences between the many interpretations, yet all are deemed correct. No tafseer is free from error. Humble tafseers always seek forgiveness from any errors it contains. Perfection belongs to Allah alone. Which is why we always seek guidance in everything we do, and ask forgiveness too for the errors we are bound to have made.

With this in mind, I feel that most of the existing tafseer have been made by those of a more conservative culture or background. And not conservative to Islam, but conservative to their culture. There's a difference.

Islam should overshadow culture where culture restricts unnecessarily.

So the limits are actually not well-defined. Who defines what is acceptable forms of sport or exercise in public? walking and cycling is okay, some may agree. Yet others may say cycling is not okay. When I watch women's football, only when I see ponytails swinging can I see that it is women and not men. They wear the same loose shirt and shorts as men. When they move their forms are not exposed in such a way that I can tell the shape of their hips from that of a man. If I cannot tell the difference on tv, then that means their bodies are not exposed. And as for the undignified way of running and jumping in public, that is very much subjective and will differ from person to person.

Dignity is being worthy of honour and respect. While some see rigourous body movements as undignifying to women, others see it as strength, agility and respect that. Again, it is subjective.

Again, I do not think the limits are that WELL-defined. That would mean an express prohibition of public participation of sports for women. I have not come across it.

What I have come across is: a requirement for modesty in all that you do. THe dress code is well-defined. Behaviour is defined in terms of good manners. Beyond that, if one feels public participation of sports is not suitable for women, then it is okay for them to do as they please. If another feels that they want to be a professional footballer in hijab, then it is okay for her to do as she pleases. To say Islam is against it, is open to discussion.

In Southern Africa, where I live, a Muslim woman in hijab riding a scooter (not a motorbike but a rather ladylike scooter) is unusual. It's not a common sight. In fact, I've never seen one. Here, such a thing may be undignified for women. Whether it is for Islamic reasons or not, I'm not sure. Probably it's because the scooter is seen as an inferior form of transport as opposed to a car, or they feel safer in a car than on a scooter due to high accident and crime rates here. Though sometimes some bring Islam into it and say that it is not acceptable for Muslim women to ride a scooter.

Yet, in the far east, women in hijab on a scooter is a common sight. It is not unusual. It is perfectly acceptable.

It is more likely for people in Africa to interpret Islamic modesty to say that scooters are unIslamic for women than it is for those in the far east, where it is culturally acceptable.

This is how culture plays a role in tafseer and interpretations of Islamic text.

For me, if one can cover appropriately, shows up to compete and prove skills in a certain sport that does not reveal their bodies, Islamically it is acceptable. This would be in line with the codes of modesty.
If one cannot cover appropriately due to the clothing requirements of the sport such as belly-dancing, gymnastics etc then perhaps this should be done in female-only environment. That said, I did see one figure skater from UAE who could make me change my mind.

I recall a tafseer that interpreted the phrase "except what is apparent thereof" from one of the verses of modesty. It mentioned that modesty does not include where the body is revealed due to natural movement or due to the elements such as when the wind blows the clothing against your body. (Personally I do not like getting to such a detailed level, it feels like splitting-hairs and being petty). Kicking a ball, swinging a racket, pushing forward with a fencing saber, falls under natural movement for me since it is hardly sensual. Hip gyrations as in belly dancing is sensual and compromises modesty for both men and women who do it.

How do we decide which is acceptable sports for public participation, since there is no clear definition?
My humble answer is, if you cannot cover appropriately, then it cannot be in public view.
However, I feel that this is one of those topics that is going to be very subjective due to the lack of definition. Just like some women cover their faces and others don't, while both are deemed correct - then some will see football as okay for public participation and others will not.

I'll be happy to agree to disagree, whilst maintaining harmony and unity within the Ummah.

Insha Allah may we be guided.



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The hadith on sports: Express prohibition of public sports? a discussion

There is a well-known hadith of the Nabi (SAW) and young Hazrat Aish (RA) racing in the desert. Do you know it? It has been quoted endless times to prove the permissibility of women doing sports. However the fact that no one was around when this race took place, is taken as implied prohibition by the Nabi that women's sports should take place out of public view. Maybe behind closed doors.

I'm going to discuss my thoughts on this. I know people are going to point fingers, call me innovator and say I'm not qualified to give an opinion. AS far as being unqualified goes, that is true. I do not claim to be a scholar who can issue fatwas or guide the Ummah. But innovator, I am not. In fact, I believe the interpretation of this hadith that prohibits women from public sports, is the innovation.

Regarding the above-mentioned hadith, it was in a desert and the rest of the traveling group had moved on ahead. And no one else was around.

Still does it expressly stipulate "no public participation of sports by females"? Does it lay down that rule? Could there be no other reason why the Nabi did it in private? This recurring racing game was a private, intimate matter for them. Indeed, it is always quoted in Islamic marriage articles to show the level of intimacy and playfulness spouses should have with each other. Married couples do tend to have private jokes between them, harmless, yet nonetheless, private.

Did the Nabi expressly forbid public sports/exercise for other women? The Nabi's behaviour and expectations of his wives were somewhat more than for other women of the Ummah. For eg. The mothers of the believers were all required to wear face-veils - but this is not required of other Muslim women (according to most Muslim schools of thought).

Moving back to the hadith - they were on a journey, traveling on foot or by camel or maybe both. Are these not forms of exercise too?

I'm not sure if there is a sport such as camel-riding, but horse-back riding is similar. Walking, fast or slow, is exercise too. Running is a faster version of walking.

Yet, the women of that time walked, rode on camel's backs, in public and in private. In today's time, I'd liken that to a hijabi in modest dress, walking or cycling to work, the bus station, to the supermarket.

http://www.friniggi.com/blog/?...

If public participation of sports and exercise is unIslamic - that would affect many activities which I'm sure we may have taken for granted as exercise. Such as walking, cycling, swimming in the sea, running etc. Do you walk to the supermarket, to school or work, to the bus station? These are all public spaces. If our intention was to walk for exercise, that would make the above activities haram, that is IF "public participation of sports/exercise" was unIslamic. Which the textual evidence shows it is not.

At this point, I'd like to add that perhaps not all sports or exercise is appropriate for public participation - like belly dancing, a popular form of exercise today for women. Belly dancing includes movements which are not appropriate for public settings, and thus more appropriate behind closed doors in female only environments.

However, the same cannot be said for running, football, tennis, weightlifting etc.

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