Muslim women open door for more female-only fitness spaces in the Twin Cities

As a teen, Fatma Sheekh played soccer and tennis. Later on, her uncle introduced her to the art of boxing. Working out as a young adult gave her “consistency and clarity,” she said.

After the death of her uncle, Sheekh joined fitness clubs in 2022 but felt out of place.

“I didn’t know where to begin,” Sheekh said.

That led her to launch the Hawa Women’s Health Club in 2024. The club rents space at three gyms and offers a range of classes, from boxing to strength training to barre.

Hawa is one of a growing number of Twin Cities fitness clubs that cater to Muslim women, offering women-only spaces where they can work out without having to maintain a hijab, along with opportunities to build friendships and connections.

Owners of Hawa, Hers Fitness in Minneapolis and Miriam Fitness Gym in Burnsville said they’re seeing a burst of interest by Muslim women in activities such as weight-lifting, boxing, strength training and self-defense.

Miriam Mongare, who opened a women-only gym four years ago, said clients have told her they feel safer and more at ease in the space. And it’s drawn women who have never worked out in a gym before.

When she walked into Life Time Fitness in 2022, Sheekh’s unfamiliarity with the machines made her reconsider solo fitness. So, she decided to give classes at the gym a try.

“It’s either being taught by a male or there’s a male member in there. And it was difficult because, you know, I’m covered up, and I can’t really push myself to the extent that I would like,” Sheekh said.

Sheekh researched whether fitness center owners in the Twin Cities would be open to hosting a women-only workout space.

“I was met with the same answer. It was always a ‘no,’” Sheekh said.

Sheekh did an entrepreneurship and business management program at the University of St. Thomas and in August 2024, she founded Hawa Women’s Health Club. Hawa offers fitness activities at three locations. It has strength and training classes in Plymouth on Mondays, including high-intensity resistance training (HIRT) and barre. Free self-defense classes are in the queue too, Sheekh said.

Yoga and monthly wellness workshops can be found in Hawa’s Minneapolis location on Saturdays, and boxing is offered at Title Boxing in Edina on Saturdays and Sundays.

Jamie Anderson recently became an assistant manager at the Title Boxing location and worked with Sheekh to create a welcoming space for Muslim women to train at the gym.

“It’s such a moving experience for me to get to be part of this and to see women be more free and get to do something they want to do,” Anderson said.

Heba Eid, 27, was born in Germany to Egyptian parents and moved to Minnesota when she was 9 years old. Eid’s fitness journey, like Sheekh’s, also started with some trepidation in 2019.

“I didn’t know how to use machines. I felt so uncomfortable in there,” Eid said.

She launched Hers Fitness in August 2024, offering a range of classes including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength training, Zumba and belly-dancing, and Eid said she’s working to introduce boxing. She rents space from Studio TimeOut in Minneapolis on Saturdays and Sundays for classes.

Mongare, 33, is a Kenya-born fitness coach who opened her women-only gym, Miriam Fitness Gym, in 2020. Now located in Burnsville, Mongare’s gym is one of very few full-time women-only fitness spaces in Minnesota. Although Mongare is not Muslim, nearly 95% of her clients are.

Mongare said that she has witnessed a growing number of Muslim women getting into weight lifting and believed availability of women-only fitness spaces has helped encourage that growth.

“They’re learning that it’s really good, especially for women that are older,” Mongare said.

Mongare, Eid and Sheekh said they also hope to see more women-only fitness centers in permanent spaces. Eid and Sheekh both said they’re working toward owning their own locations.

A fourth women-only fitness center is also on the horizon in the Twin Cities.

St. Paul boxer Amaiya Zafar, 24, made headlines in 2016 when she was disqualified from the Sugar Bert Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla., for wearing a hijab and clothing that covered her arms and legs under her boxing gear. In 2017, Zafar was allowed to compete with her hijab and hijab-compliant clothing due to a religious exemption by USA Boxing.

Zafar, with help from her father, Humayun Zafar, is opening Ummah Fit later this year at Zawadi Center in Bloomington. The women-only fitness space will offer classes and provide child care.

“There’s not a lot of spaces that are truly inclusive, accessible and safe as a Muslim woman,” Zafar said. “My goal is a space that is empowering, uplifting, and inclusive for many of us who have been overlooked in the fitness and athletic world.”

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This story comes to you from Sahan Journal, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering Minnesota’s immigrants and communities of color. Sign up for a free newsletter to receive Sahan’s stories in your inbox.