By Leana Deeb is currently one of the most influential female content creators of our time. Her identity as a Muslim-veiled fitness content creator has monumentally shaped and inspired the lives of so many young women, including myself.
With dedication, discipline, and compassion, Leana has built a community that transcends strictly adhering to one identity. While embracing her authentic self, she encourages wellness by unapologetically sharing her own journey.
She has revolutionized the modest gym wear industry and made it so much more accessible to buy modest workout gear for co-ed workout spaces
Leana’s story dates back to October 2021 after her friend suggested she upload workout videos online as a personal trainer. After putting on the hijab in the summer of 2023, and deleting all of her previous content, Leana Deeb has led countless initiatives to strengthen and diversify the gym space.
Notably, Leana acts as a Bloom partner with her own pre-workout flavour titled “Tiger’s Blood.” Leana has also released the “Lift With Leana” app filled with tons of amazing workouts, food, and wellness content to encourage and inspire all to achieve their goals.
In August 2023, Gymshark unveiled a beautiful mural of Leana Deeb in hijab on the side of a building on Whitechapel Street in East London, United Kingdom close to the East London mosque. Leana’s mural features real fabric as part of the hijab to create a 3D effect while looking at it.
She utilized her fame and connections to produce content that continues to inspire women to comfortably go to the gym and feel a sense of belonging.
The Life with Leana tour launched May 2023 in collaboration with Gymshark. Leana toured three cities and connected with her fans and supporters on multiple levels. Fans had the opportunity to shop her favourite looks, try her Bloom pre-workout, and actually lift with her.
Leana’s collaboration with Gymshark does not stop there. She has revolutionized the modest gym wear industry and made it so much more accessible to buy modest workout gear for co-ed workout spaces. She utilized her fame and connections to produce content that continues to inspire women to comfortably go to the gym and feel a sense of belonging. Her pieces quickly sell out, despite multiple restocks.
We all know the immense struggle of being a modest woman in the co-ed gym space looking for loose, long, sweat-wicking clothing. Clothes are either too tight, short, or see-through. We often resort to compromising in some way, being deterred from the gym altogether, or tying a heavy hoodie around our waist and uncomfortably readjusting after every set. Her efforts with Gymshark have been profound. She has created modest, long, loose-fitting gym wear for us modest girls.
An influencer’s gains are often a measure of how trustworthy we deem them to be. And yet, Leana deleted all of her pictures and videos, including the content on her Lift with Leana app.
While every single one of her accomplishments deserves to be mentioned, perhaps one of her most inspiring achievements is that of putting on the hijab.
Most people follow fitness content creators for tips and routines to achieve their desired body. We want what influencers have whether it may be their body or their lifestyle.
The online fitness sphere usually demands for the influencer’s physique to be on display. An influencer’s gains are often a measure of how trustworthy we deem them to be. And yet, Leana deleted all of her pictures and videos, including the content on her Lift with Leana app. She re-filmed hundreds of videos with her hijab because she believed so strongly in Islam.
In a TikTok video with 713.4k likes, Leana shared her reasons for putting on the headscarf. In another video, she expressed that her initial fear was if she was going to be relatable anymore for her audience. This is a valid concern. Will her fanbase continue to support her despite her new dedication to the hijab and modest wear?
After almost a year since putting on the hijab, Leana currently has 18.8 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Despite growing up in a Muslim household, [Leana] acknowledges that religion was never forced on her by her Muslim father and her reverted mother.
Leana putting on the hijab at such a high point in her career speaks volumes. She did it for herself and for the sake of Allah SWT. In so many ways, the shift showed her already existing fan base what Islam truly is.
In a YouTube Q&A video answering a question on what made her grow close to Islam, she expresses that at the peak of her career, she was at the lowest point of her life. She began researching different faiths while being Agnostic.
Despite growing up in a Muslim household, she acknowledges that religion was never forced on her by her Muslim father and her reverted mother. She learned Islam and fell in love with it by pure choice. And has felt closer to Allah SWT ever since.
Non-Muslims have left heartfelt comments underneath Leana’s TikToks. “I’m not Muslim, nor religious at all. But learning about the hijab and what it represents, I wish I could wear one! You are beautiful,” details one TikTok user.
Another commenter said, “I’m not religious, but your journey definitely makes me want to believe in something bigger than myself.”
Leana understands and acknowledges that everyone is on their own journey. Her lifestyle change online is not meant to be forced on anyone.
Her core remains the same and she continues to produce fitness and nutrition content for her audience.
Leana refuses to forgo parts of her identity and proudly shares her Palestinian-Uruguayan heritage while wearing hijab, making food, journaling, and uploading fitness content.
Leana believes hijab extends more than just the physical hijab. Hijab is also how you interact with others, how you treat other people, and the kindness you exhibit. In videos online, fans consistently discuss their satisfaction after meeting Leana calling her “genuine” and “warm.”
As a hijabi woman, I used to feel judged at the gym. Now, whenever I feel that way, I remember Leana. I don’t feel like I stick out in the gym anymore even though I’m the only hijabi there.
Leana’s impact has been profound. As human beings with complex identities, feeling a sense of true belonging can be difficult. We become stuck in between identities, forced to choose one or the other while neither one fully accepts us.
Leana refuses to forgo parts of her identity and proudly shares her Palestinian-Uruguayan heritage while wearing hijab, making food, journaling, and uploading fitness content.
Calum Watson, global partnerships director at Gymshark, describes Leana’s journey “as nothing short of remarkable. She’s one of the most important and inspirational athletes in the world today,” and at Muslim Girl, we wholeheartedly agree.
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