Bradford mosque's pilates class video goes viral

A men's pilates class at a mosque in Bradford, a city in West Yorkshire, England, attracted worldwide attention after a video of the session went viral on social media, receiving more than two million views, leaving the management "shocked".

Jamia Usmania Mosque on Heaton Road hosts weekly Thursday classes aimed at providing tips for a healthy lifestyle for men aged 50 years and above.

Quoting mosque secretary Mohammad Ilyas, the BBC reported that the session was launched for the health and well-being of older men, with plans to roll out such classes for women as well.

The sessions received an overwhelming response, as they had to limit the number of people taking part in classes due to space, he added.

Responding to the "unbelievable response", Ilyas said: “We are shocked to be honest, it's gone worldwide, we've had nearly two million views on TikTok and a lot of views on Facebook."

The mosque management found their comment section with requests for suggestions for starting the same classes in other mosques. Since the video went viral, Ilyas said he received calls to carry out these classes across England.

Zara Kayani, who is an instructor at the mosque, describes himself as passionate about sharing health improvement tips, believing that older people have fewer opportunities for workouts than younger people, so these classes would help them to improve their flexibility.

"It's an opportunity for men to come together, have a laugh," he said.

Kayani acknowledged the growing interest of the people, saying: "We've seen the classes grow from seven to 20 to 25, so we're having to limit some of the classes because the numbers are growing day by day."

"It's helped me a lot both physically and emotionally," said Abid Khan, 62, who had undergone a heart transplant in June 2024.

Ilyas highlighted that a unique thought turned the mosque into a community centre, and the management was currently constructing a new building nearby, which would enable them to do more, including offering women's classes.