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Talking point: Women-only gyms
Research conducted by the Vitality Health Institute, found the pressures of life mean that only 23 per cent of UK women meet WHO physical activity guidelines. Kath Hudson finds out what the industry can do to make exercise a non-negotiable
The findings from Active Women, Healthy Lives: Understanding Barriers to Women’s Participation in Physical Activity are frustrating, but not surprising.
We’ve long known that women face barriers when it comes to physical activity – barriers men often don’t encounter. For example, finding the time for it when they have to balance work, caregiving and household responsibilities, or the pressure to exercise for weight management, which makes exercise feel like punishment instead of something they can do for fun, socialising or personal achievement.
The report quantifies these barriers and confirms that activity levels remain stubbornly low in women throughout life. The numbers confirm what we’ve been noticing for years, but seeing them laid out is a powerful call to action.
It’s important for operators to create a welcoming and judgment-free environment, which is very easy to say and far harder to do, day in, day out. With 37 per cent of women saying that their pelvic floor health stops them from exercising, having clean toilets with freely available sanitary products and not doing high knees or star jumps in a warm-up, make a huge difference. As does welcoming everyone into the class – even when they’re late.
We need to have well-qualified instructors who coach women to move and exercise in a way that’s designed for their age and experience, so they feel they‘re being looked after by people who understand their bodies.
We also need to shift the focus of exercising away from weight management to function and health. The messaging around women’s fitness has historically leaned heavily on weight loss or looking a certain way, which is demotivating and unsustainable in the long term.
We should focus on the benefits of exercise, such as stress relief, improved mental health, better sleep and increased energy. When we focus more on what women gain, instead of what they’re trying to lose, it feels more empowering. Sharing relatable stories of women who find joy or rediscovered confidence through movement can also be very inspiring for others.
The report found that women do want to be more active – nearly three-quarters of them said this – but they struggle against a system that doesn’t acknowledge or prioritise their needs to achieve this. The fact that walking is the most common activity shows that accessible options are essential to get women moving. But it should be a starting point, not the only option. We need to consider how we make other forms of activity just as accessible and appealing.
It’s also important to understand that creating systems that work for women is not their responsibility. We can’t blame them for struggling to adapt to systems that were never designed with them in mind. Employers, partners, friends, the government and fitness industry, all have a role to play in helping women be more active – facilitating childcare and making exercise accessible during the workday, with initiatives such as walking meetings or exercise ‘snacks’, are good places to start.
To achieve the systemic change we want to see, we must understand that women go through numerous pivotal life stages which impact everything in their lives to the point that fitness often drops to the bottom of their list.
In the last 12 months, we’ve also opened two women’s gyms in response to customer demand and in the last 12 months, Google search trends for women’s only fitness have increased by 80 per cent.
We’re delighted this is now a hot topic because, historically, gyms have been designed with men in mind. A tailored built environment is key to attracting women. We can’t pretend the gym environment isn’t intimidating, which is a big barrier for many people, especially women. As operators, it’s our responsibility to make spaces both physically and mentally welcoming and built to accommodate the needs of our customers. A simple thing for building confidence is easy access to a bathroom from the workout space and not including star jumps in group exercise workouts.
As a result of our own research and deep listening, we’re not on board with segmenting women according to life stage. This is too simplistic because women can have different needs at different points in the month, completely irrespective of life stage. It takes hard work to establish the common needs that unite all women and that’s what we’ve been doing. There needs to be awareness training and we’ve been offering this to our team members for many years. But it’s in the background, it doesn’t need to be put on the gym floor.
One of the biggest feedback pieces we’ve had about Women’s Gym is that they need to have a calming atmosphere. Feedback has validated the decision we made to create a lighter, welcoming space, using a colour palette of peach, grey and blues. Not pink. We‘ve used light to help cast the eyes up – as women tend to look down for wayfinding – and then strip lighting to direct the eye beyond what they can immediately see. This helps women to look up and ahead with more confidence.
We‘ve also created zoned spaces which offer choice: some with mirrors, some without; an area with air con and an area without; areas with music, areas without. The whole environment is not overstimulating, so there are no TVs and it’s never overcrowded. Our changing rooms are well thought out too, with individual shower and changing cubicles.
Because of the environment being so calm and welcoming and the way we’ve laid it out, it doesn’t feel intimidating. Our figures show that 62 per cent of our members have had the confidence to try something new. It’s a place to experiment without worrying about feeling stupid.
We’ve also found it’s really unhelpful to talk about fitness as ‘me time’. Our listening has evidenced that women can easily feel guilty about most things and so we interpreted that it would be unhelpful to position Women’s Gym as anything else but a gym for women. We take women’s fitness seriously and women working out needs to be normalised rather than positioned as something that must have time carved out for.
We need more innovation from suppliers around making equipment female-friendly. We haven’t been able to achieve the economies of scale of a main equipment partner because there wasn’t any company that could do the full range. An evolution from black equipment would be welcome: it can make spaces feel dark, intimidating, masculine and tough, which is unhelpful.
I’m both unsurprised and deeply saddened that only 23 per cent of women in the UK are meeting activity guidelines. I believe this reflects the overwhelming societal pressures us women face – caregiving in its many forms, work and the guilt many feel about prioritising themselves. The fact that so many women see exercise as a nice-to-have rather than essential for health and mental wellbeing speaks volumes and shows we still have a long way to go to normalise exercise as a fundamental part of women’s lives.
I love that the Vitality report emphasises that this situation isn’t women’s responsibility to fix. For too long, society has placed the burden of change squarely on women, when structural and cultural shifts are needed. In order to make an impact, we also need to shift the narrative away from appearance or weight loss to benefits such as mental clarity, strength and energy.
The drop-off in participation during the teenage years is alarming and I question why schools still focus on sports for PE. Competitive sport does not have a universal appeal and there need to be options offered that are more inclusive and less intimidating, for example focusing on the joy and health benefits of movement rather than competition or performance.
Exposure to a variety of movement options in schools, including yoga, Pilates and strength training could have a positive impact on activity levels.
We also need relatable role models who prioritise exercise – mums, professionals and women of all shapes and sizes – can inspire others. To make a meaningful change, we need to foster a culture where women feel that movement isn’t just for fitness, it’s for mental wellbeing, connection and empowerment. Exercise should be a celebration of what our bodies can do, not a punishment for how we look. And we need to ensure every woman feels supported in making time for herself without guilt or judgment.
Frame focuses on making exercise enjoyable and inclusive. We have the mantra that choosing a class you enjoy is the best class for you. We pride ourselves on creating a space where everyone feels welcome, comfortable and unjudged and offer an extensive timetable to make it as easier to fit exercise into busy lives. For those with time, location and financial constraints, and people who feel too embarrassed to try new things in public, we have designed Frame Online.
The amount of pressure that is generally placed upon women across the life course is phenomenal. Girls and younger women feel the pressures to be strong academically and be a solid friend while dealing with their bodies changing rapidly. What they could do with ease activity wise before puberty can feel harder, or more exposing, as they mature.
Through their working lives, women must juggle career demands and the absence that comes from starting a family. Following maternity leave women can often find themselves a few steps behind their male counterparts and feel as though they must work harder to catch up, all while juggling the mental load that comes hand in hand with operating a household and ensuring children are thriving academically, emotionally and socially.
I agree with the recommendations that men need to step up: both in the equal division of the unpaid, unseen labour that goes on in the majority of households and also in the gym or exercise space. If you see a woman being active outdoors, give her space, cross the road, let her know she’s safe. In the gym environment, be aware of the women around you, give them the space they need to do their routine and definitely don’t mansplain!
Women fear being judged when they exercise because they’re bombarded with images of younger, picture-perfect, Instagram-ready women. Seeing pictures and campaigns of real women, of all ages, shapes and abilities will help them know there‘s a space for them.
I fully agree with the recommendation that we need to look at different cohorts of women and their needs when it comes to being physically active. There‘s a huge knowledge gap across our sector on the effects of perimenopause and menopause.
Often the message to all women is around how exercise can help you burn calories. However, by reframing the message to fit the various stages of our life, it can start to resonate at a more meaningful level on the relevant benefits.
Serco Leisure is implementing an Active Wellbeing strategy across all contracts to help address some of the challenging health inequalities and within this we have a definite focus on women and girls. We have numerous This Girl Can initiatives running across our centres, including backing the “Lets Lift the Curfew Campaign” by offering free supported walks and runs in areas of demand for women and girls of all ages to come along and feel safe outdoors during the dark nights. Planned in for 2025 we’ll have a focus around training our staff on exercise and the effects of menopause and wider training around understanding behaviour change.
As a wife and mom of three young boys, with a very full career, I felt a deep connection to the findings of this report. It highlights how life demands – for example work, family and caregiving – often take priority over exercise. It’s encouraging to see this issue being highlighted, as it underscores the need for tailored solutions to support women in staying active.
Operators could help to remove barriers, for example by introducing group fitness classes with a social focus, such as themed workouts, buddy systems or post-class meet-ups, as well as hosting social events, such as wellness workshops, fitness brunches, or outdoor activities that blend fitness with social connection. Gamification, challenges and rewards can also make workouts more engaging and interactive.
The other opportunity is making people feel welcomed no matter where they are on their fitness journey. Our No Judgments philosophy is not just a tagline – it runs deep within every team member at our gyms.
We’ve introduced a number of initiatives to increase engagement with women and seen a positive response in terms of membership retention and engagement. We’ve added kit that women are asking for, including that which focuses on glutes and abs. Flexible class schedules and childcare services are offered in many of our gyms to accommodate busy mothers or caregivers.
Our new Hot Studio offers a wide variety of classes, from Hot Yoga to Hot Pilates to Hot HIIT, in a boutique setting. The new Relax & Recover space has been designed to feel premium and spa-like: a retreat in and of itself.
We also have a great balance of male and female trainers and have had very positive feedback from our female PT clients about the impact this has made for them.
There is the opportunity to redefine fitness messaging to focus on holistic health and wellbeing, rather than weight management: the overall wellbeing, improved mental health, strength, energy, social aspects, self-confidence boost and decreased stress levels, as well as a form of self-care and empowerment.
Imagery and language used in marketing also needs to reflect diverse body types and fitness goals.
It’s critical that we, as an industry, address the unique challenges women face in prioritising exercise. Operators that create flexible, inclusive and supportive environments will win with women and help them stay active. We also need to listen, turning members’ insights into innovation. I love listening to our members’ stories. Their challenges. Their Why. They will tell you exactly what’s on their mind.
✻ Only 23 per cent of women in the UK engage in 30 minutes of exercise a week, or do 7k steps/day five or more times a week
✻ 80 per cent say time is a barrier to exercise versus 35 per cent of men
✻ 36 per cent of women feel guilty taking time for themselves
✻ Work, caring and chores are seen as non-negotiable while exercise is a nice-to-have
✻ 82 per cent said lack of motivation is the main reason for not exercising
✻ 65 per cent said it was down to lack of enjoyment
✻ 62 per cent cited fear of judgment about their ability or body image
✻ One million girls who once considered themselves sporty disengaged after primary school
✻ 37 per cent said their pelvic floor health stops them from exercising
✻ 41 per cent say they would like to move more
✻ 64 per cent say walking is their movement of choice
✻ Gym-based classes are the second most popular activity, at 27 per cent
✻ Provide better information
✻ Move the conversation away from weight management
✻ Embed training about the different life stages women travel through
✻ Offer more inclusive facilities, including childcare if possible
✻ Make health checks part of the offering
✻ Focus on fun and social opportunities
✻ Provide snackable workouts at flexible times
More: www.HCMmag.com/Vitality
Source: Vitality Health, Active Women, Healthy Lives: Understanding Barriers to Women’s Participation in Physical Activity
The Gym Group partnered with Baz Moffat and The Well HQ in 2023 to launch the Female Health First programme to equip teams with specialist knowledge on female fitness and translate this to the gym floor to make the gyms welcoming spaces for women.
To date 170 members of staff have completed the course, which includes female functional fitness classes, pelvic floor health workshops, female-focused weight training and small group training sessions.
“Being able to provide these kinds of sessions for our teams helps them open up conversations around female training, supporting our members to better understand how they can work comfortably and effectively and to see exercise as an enjoyable, important part of their routine,” says Laura Travis, female health first lead at The Gym Group.
Ruth Jackson, chief people officer at The Gym Group says the knowledge and benefits are being shared around the company: “We’re seeing the fantastic benefits of empowering our gym teams with specialist knowledge on female fitness, and how that helps us to ensure our gym environments are even more welcoming and inspiring for all, including bespoke group exercises classes and one to one support to help women at every life stage.”
In the last two years, The Gym Group reports that it has trebled the number of training sessions available on a female-only basis under its Weights for Women programme.
