Creative agency, mud orange, conducted the research showing British Muslim women to be underrepresented within the health and fitness sector. The pandemic provided an opportunity for businesses to expand their services, particularly in the health and fitness sector by increasing the availability of home workout plans.

The research found that 86% of British Muslim women felt that the limited health and fitness options provided in gyms, previous to the Covid-19, restricted their access to exercise. Government exercise plans such as ‘Couch to 5K’ and home workout guides such as Joe Wicks were found to have helped British Muslim women overcome barriers to fitness.

The lack of brand inclusion for Muslim women extends to the practicalities of gym clothing, with over half saying they find it difficult to find suitable activewear. Nike and Under Armour are among those companies creating modest activewear, however 87% of women say that sports hijabs are not practically fit for purpose.

Arif Miah, creative strategy director of mud orange says, “British Muslim women are underrepresented within the health and fitness sector, from the lack of gender-sensitive work out spaces, to the undersupply of suitable and fit for purpose modest activewear.”

While mud orange commends those brands in the health and fitness sector for improving access through the pandemic, the research highlights areas for improvement. It calls for brands in other sectors to look for ways to improve engagement and inclusion of British Muslim audiences.

The study conducted by mud orange consulted 1,000 British Muslim women aged 18-45 across the UK using an online survey.