A nationwide charity, the Muslimah Sports Association (MSA), introduced Muslim women from east London to Nordic walking in the woods. The MSA encourages Muslim women across the UK to participate in sports to address the challenges they face including mental health, loneliness, and lack of exercise. The Nordic walk sessions began when Forestry England and MSA communicated through social media. Publicly owned Forestry England is responsible for the country’s 620,000 acres of woodland.
The MSA group in east London draws its members from areas with a large Pakistani and Bangladeshi community, including Ilford, Romford, Forest Gate, and Stratford. Nordic walks have proved the most popular activity. The Feel Good in the Forest programme by Forestry England involved Nordic walking leader, Anne Mills, taking the women through Thames Chase Forest Centre. Other walks take place at Pages Wood in the borough of Havering.
Participants from the MSA group travel over an hour to take part and the Nordic walks have helped many to escape the city, offering fresh air and the opportunity to connect with nature. Salma Quaium, east London’s MSA manager, is a vocal advocate for Nordic walking. It engages muscles in the upper body, including the chest and legs, making it suitable for people with lung conditions such as asthma and COPD. It is also helpful for those who have been sitting at desks all day.
According to Quaium, many people from South Asian communities are experiencing mental and physical health problems. Certain south Asian populations suffer disproportionately from diabetes and heart problems. Encounters with dogs present challenges for many Muslim women, since they are not used to interacting with them. MSA’s community concept makes the forest walk an instant confidence booster for participants who are nervous, either real or perceived, about facing racism and Islamophobia
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