Finding my feet in Park Ward

Rukhsar Ali - 31, Park Ward

A year or so ago, I stopped going to the gym and gradually became less active. Over time, I gained weight and started to feel really low about myself. I reached a point where I knew I needed to make a change.

Rejoining the gym wasn’t easy; it took a lot of encouragement from the staff and the friends I’d made there previously. But eventually, I took that step, and I haven’t looked back since.

At first, it felt really daunting. One day, the gym was so busy that all the machines were taken, so I joined a few of the ladies and headed outside for a walk on the track. That moment turned out to be a turning point for me, as it was when I first heard about the Himmat walking group at the park.

Initially, I was quite hesitant. I didn’t feel comfortable being out in my gym wear, so I joined in wearing my usual clothes alongside a few other ladies, and it was absolutely fine. We did a few laps around the park and then walked back up, which felt like a huge achievement for me. I could definitely feel it afterwards! The next day, I was sore from doing so many steps, but it was worth it.

Since then, we’ve even created a step challenge, and I now aim to reach 10,000 steps a day. I don’t always hit my target, and I know I’ve still got a way to go, but sometimes I’ll go out walking with my sister and end up doing nearly double that!

Although I’d been a gym member before, it was actually seeing posts about the walking group on Snapchat that first brought it to my attention. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until I got chatting to others at the gym and they encouraged me to join that I decided to give it a go. If I’d only seen a poster, I probably wouldn’t have attended, I’m not naturally a very sociable person and don’t usually feel confident meeting new people. But over time, I’ve got to know some of the other women, and now we encourage each other to come along.

This group has made such a difference to me. It’s really helped with my confidence and anxiety. I used to keep myself to myself, but everyone has been so friendly that I’ve naturally made some great friends. I feel much less awkward and more open to trying new things.

“If you're feeling anxious or nervous about starting, take it from me who was in the exact same position, don't be! Just join and you will realise how supportive everyone is.”

My children have noticed the difference too. I now encourage them to be more active, and I hope they grow up knowing they can do anything they set their minds to, especially when it comes to sport and fitness, which wasn’t something I was encouraged to do when I was younger.