It's 3pm and women begin to flow in from different directions outside the Dranikula community hall.

They're here to take part in aerogym, their daily date to burn energy and be energised.

Up to 40 women in the village come together each day for the program - aerobics mixed with gymnastics, and a bit of Fijian flavour thrown in.

Group leader Evia Raivaka admits that when Pacific Sports Partnerships' gymnastics staff first approached the village, about 60km south-west of Suva, many of the women were too embarrassed to take part.

Because it's not in our custom, they are ashamed to do the aerobics, to throw themselves up and down, they were all ashamed. That's why it's so difficult to convince them because they have a different kind of thinking. It's a new thing for them."

The group started with 10, but now has most of the village's women and girls participating. Before that, Evia says the women would usually only come together to clean.

Now they're bonding over their improved health.

"Most of the women they don't do exercise, they just stay home, do cooking that's their routine. Every day they wake up, they do the breakfast, they do the lunch, and they do the dinner and do the washing, but not exercising. I didn't know some of these women very well but after we had this aerobics, I come to know them very well. We are feeling good together."

This story was produced by ABC International Development as part of the Pacific Sports Partnerships funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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Australia
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Gymnastics
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https://www.sportanddev.org/latest/media/gallery-dropping-kilos-and-lifting-spirits-tiny-fijian-village

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Tags

Region
Australia
Sport
Gymnastics
Themes