Nahil and Nahla Elayyan are busy training a number of women in fitness exercises, during sixty minutes a day, in which they meet in an atmosphere of love, harmony and intimacy.

Nahil mastered fitness training patterns through self-learning at the beginning of her career by following television programs with her three sons, who were her only audience for 17 years, until she received during the last five years a training course with the Palestinian Federation of Bodybuilding in which talent was combined with knowledge.

Nahil then moved between a number of sports clubs in search of experience, until she settled in one of them, and said in an interview with "Last Story": "The last club I participated in, through it I was able to learn to take risks in creating exercises and outdoor activities in order to take a step towards changing society's perception of women's practice of sports."

Usually, Gazans are reticent about women practicing certain types of sports, according to Nahil. Who considered these sports to be cycling or horses, in addition to martial arts, and morning walks on the seashore. Because they find them a departure from the norm and a violation of their customs and traditions that place women within specific templates that are often not allowed to deviate from them, she said.

Gazans are usually reticent about women practicing certain types of sports, according to Nahil. Some of these sports include riding a bike or horse, martial arts, and morning walks on the seashore.

She said that the people of the Gaza Strip find these sports a departure from the norm and a violation of their customs and traditions, which place women within specific molds that are often not allowed to deviate from them.

She attributed the weak orientation of women in the Gaza Strip to physical fitness, in addition to football, basketball and tables, to the culture of society and the absence of professional staff and places qualified to practice these types, despite the efforts of some clubs such as Gaza Club and Al-Mashtal to integrate women and girls.

But Elayyan, who was interested in scientific reading about sports and its health effects on women's bodies, saw in these sports a great benefit, and about her she said: "Walking a woman on the seashore barefoot is not a defect, but it is a very healthy habit, because it secretes hormones that improve mood, and increase their ability to achieve and perform, so are not left to illness and depression at home."

As soon as the trainer has shared her sports instructions with the women, they gather around her to take a break from the psychological discharge, exchange conversations and share daily concerns, and then receive support and assistance despite their different ages and the environments in which they live.

Coach Nahil believes that every woman suffers from certain problems that may be simple to solve if she participates with anyone, so she took it upon herself to support them psychologically by integrating psychological discharge activities into sports such as walking, cycling, etc.

She explains, "I inherited this skill from my father and he suffers from a hearing disability but at the same time he excels in athletics and bodybuilding."

Also, her sister Nahla was her partner in all her steps and they work together in training, and about that participation, she said: "I loved sports because my sister Nahil was attached to her and her desire to stay with her all the time, so I was her assistant, so I started as a trainee with her until today she became a coach in one of the sports clubs in the sector."

Nahla advised women who are beginners in sports to enroll in sports programs led by coaches and not just self-learning at home, to prevent injuries and because groups are a protective moral shield for them, she said.

Mahmoud al-Natour, vice president of the Palestinian Federation for Sports Culture, said Palestinian women have recently shown an increased interest in sports, attributing it to the increased awareness of sports concepts and the impact of practicing them on women's mental and physical health.

According to a study conducted by Mahmoud al-Natour, the vice president of the Palestinian Federation for Sports Culture, on the role of communication means in directing the public to sports in 2019, it was found that the demand of women to practice walking in large numbers on the Gaza seashore and the Corniche in particular increased by 200-300 women per day, between 2015 and 2022.

The study also showed the significant role of social media in increasing women's orientation to sports in this tangible way.

Al-Natour said that the recent period in the Gaza Strip witnessed the turnout of women to gyms, which reached 24 in the northern governorates frequented by 1,440 women, while in the middle reached 6 halls frequented by 210 women, and in Khan Younis as well, while in Rafah 5 halls accepted by 175 women, and in Gaza the highest turnout, as the number of halls reached 49 frequented by 2,315 women.

Women come to these gyms for different purposes, according to al-Natour, who told "Last Story": "Some women go for the purpose of psychological discharge and escape the pressures of life, and some of them see sports as an indispensable lifestyle."

The vice president of the Palestinian Federation for Sports Culture added, "There is a group that carries a misconception about sports, such as considering it a magic way to lose weight in a few days, but in reality sport needs a long time to help a person get rid of obesity."

The study proved according to the results shared with us by Al-Natour, that women were the most responsive in exercising outdoors, pointing out that women in the Gaza Strip tend to practice inexpensive sports, which may not be related to a specific time such as walking, especially those who work.

Women's desires, circumstances and goals may vary from practicing sports, but what is constant is their ability to extract their rights and support each other in a society dominated by a culture of 'shame'.

While Nahil and Nahla Elayyan see in sports more than routine exercises, but a psychological program and a lifestyle that creates a new culture for women and society.