Structural and Environmental Barriers

Being supported by a healthcare professional from the same ethnic background made advice feel more contextually relevant and the environment safer and more comfortable. When subsidised exercise classes ended and a monthly fee of £25 was introduced, participants stopped attending due to unmanageable cost rather than lack of interest. Fear of racist abuse prevented some participants from walking in their neighbourhoods, turning outdoor activity into a source of stress rather than a health benefit. Online booking systems acted as a barrier for individuals lacking digital confidence or skills, preventing access to health services they would otherwise have used. Assumptions about required gym clothing deterred some participants from attending exercise classes, but this perceived barrier dissolved quickly once they discovered normal clothing was acceptable. Women-only exercise spaces were valued by participants for both physical comfort and mutual social support.