Racialised communities

Research conducted by The Unmistakables

Racialised communities: relationship between physical activity and mental health

1. 88% of people from racialised communities said they take part in activities on their own rather than in a group.

2. Walking is the most popular activity, followed by jogging/running and Yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi. These activities have low barriers to entry as they're low cost and can be done in your own time, space and way.

3. Physical activity allows for safe spaces to have conversations around mental health. As it isn't labelled as ‘mental health’, it can avoid barriers such as stigma from self or others.

4. People from racialised communities who participate in physical activity recognise it can build trust, community and connection. But it’s not the only way and other routes may be more suitable.

Racialised communities: gender is more of an influencing factor than ethnicity

Gender, rather than ethnicity, plays a greater role in whether someone takes part in physical activity or not.

Women

Spend fewer days a week taking part in physical activity regardless of their ethnicity.
The relationship with and benefit to mental health is felt less for women.
Physical activity isn't always helpful in improving mental health. This is due to the complicated relationship with body image and perception that exercise alone is not enough to improve mental health.

Men

More men reported feeling comfortable and included in spaces where sport and physical activity occurred.
For some men, physical activity was reported as having a direct benefit on their mental health.
For most, the focus goes beyond the activity or mental health itself. It often has a deeper meaning, a way of letting go of experiences of oppression, discrimination and stigma.

More information is available on gender being more of an influencing factor than ethnicity and how physical activity preferences differ by gender and community.

I approach swimming from an Afro Caribbean way. We don’t just swim, we have food after every session. It makes the link between swimming and culture easier to see.

Attendee at one of the research workshops

Racialised communities: barriers to using physical activity to improve mental health

1. Cultural and religious norms. These can deter people from engaging in physical activity. For example, traditional dress codes and/or commitments on evenings or weekends (such as attending a mosque, gurdwara, synagogue or church).

2. Family and home expectations. This can be expectations on different genders. For example, cultural obligations after marriage for women.

3. Racial discrimination. This can lead to reduced resilience to take part in physical activity.

4. Lack of access. Unwelcoming physical activity environments and transport challenges as well as a lack of provision in local communities.

5. Funding. Grassroots organisations have limited access to funding for programmes to support local communities.

I've had issues with exercise, because I have body image issues. I was trying to find a way to make sure I'm exercising to stay healthy rather than just to lose weight.

Lived experience focus group attendee, Black British woman

Racialised communities: recommendations for the physical activity and mental health sector

1. The physical activity and mental health sectors need to work in partnership. National organisations can support community groups and organisations through providing support with finance, resource, training and capacity building.

2. Involve people with lived experience. Develop activities led by the voices and needs of each community. This is more successful than a top-down delivery model that explicitly links and labels physical activity to mental health outcomes, which may deter people from participating.

3. Increase funding for joined-up physical activity and mental health programmes at a local level. Grassroots organisations described existing funding schemes as biased towards charities and large-scale organisations.

Example: Roshni Ghar - physical activity for South Asian women.