Faith and Fitness Unite: Istanbul's Elderly Embrace Mosque Fitness Program
The fitness project, launched in January, covers 11 mosques in the Bagcilar district, one of the poorest and most crowded areas of the city.
The men, aged between 66 and 75, follow the instructions of a sport instructor who leads them in simple movements to enhance their flexibility and strength, AFP reported on Tuesday.
The men say they feel happier and more energetic after the 15-minute sessions, which take place twice a day.
"It makes a difference," said Huseyin Kaya, a former taxi driver with a long beard and a black skullcap. "I make every part of my body move."
The project is supported by the Bagcilar council, which is led by a member of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP party, known for its conservative and religious values.
The council hopes to expand the project to include women, who usually pray at home in Turkey and are more prone to sedentary lifestyles.
According to health ministry data, more than half of Turkish women have low levels of physical activity, compared to about one in three men.
Serap Inal, a physiotherapy expert at the Istanbul Galata University, said the fitness project in mosques was a good idea, but suggested that the participants should also exercise outdoors. "I would suggest taking them out and exercising in fresh air," she said.
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The imam of the Abdulhamid Han Mosque, Bulent Cinar, said he was proud that his mosque had become more than a place of worship, attracting health-conscious men from other mosques.
He also said he was willing to have a female instructor lead exercises in the women's prayer room, and called for the project to be extended to all of Turkey's 90,000 mosques.
"The quality of their prayers improves after we do these exercises," he said. "They are rejuvenated."
Source: Agencies
