The Perfect Gym for Women

What if every time you went to the gym, you felt like you were being watched? What if people seemed to watch you as you walked by or glanced over consistently as you were working out? This is the reality for many women who attend local gyms and fitness centers. Over time, this can grow quite tiresome and frankly frustrating. Do you want to know more about the perfect gym for women? We’ll discuss some of the “ins” and “outs” of fitness centers and ways to build the perfect fitness experience for women. No more feeling objectified, no more feeling unknowledgeable.

Body image

It is hard enough to learn to love yourself just how you are. Why should women have to feel judged when trying to take good care of their bodies? Truth is, they shouldn't! Having a healthy perspective of your height, weight, and shape can be very challenging. Cardio equipment and dieting are two of the most common tactics women use to maintain lower weights and better health.

One woman who found this practice to be exhausting and in many ways boring is Kelley Kitley.  Kelley is a retired long distance runner who wanted to create a place for women to work out and be rejuvenated. She and her two sisters opened Renew Studio to provide group fitness classes, beauty esthetics, and psychotherapy to those seeking a positive and uplifting health and wellness environment. These women work tirelessly to empower other women and to push them to reach not only their physical, but their mental fitness goals.

Cleanliness

The first impression given by a gym is seen differently by everyone. Some people may see the exercise machines and be very excited. Others may like the free weights or cardio equipment. Some may want to sign up because of the long list of group training classes offered. How many people look at the facility at a glance and wonder how clean it is? One of the worst things at a gym is getting on a piece of equipment that is dripping in someone else's sweat.

Samantha Morrison, a health and wellness expert from Glacier Wellness said, "I don't think it's asking too much for people to wipe off their sweat from machines, not take up half the space for some ridiculous exercise, and not "mansplain" every five seconds.” Women, take note of this as you look around gyms that you may want to use. If you are going to go and do a free trial, go during the busiest time of day to see how well members take care of the equipment.

"Look for a clean facility, good variety of equipment, easy access in and out, easy class reservations policy, a convenient network of locations, and a good vibe/energy on the gym floor.”

— Frank Pasquale, East Coast Crunch Gym

Lack of training

How many of you have gone to the gym and wanted to try some new machines or equipment, but not known how to? You certainly are not alone! Kekua Kobashigawa of the Kroc Center Hawaii training facility feels that most women will wait to feel comfortable at a gym before reaching out to a personal trainer or other gym members to be trained on using equipment. The vast majority of women look up YouTube or Instagram videos to see how equipment is used. It is certainly the minority of women who directly approach a trainer or other gym members to ask how to use certain things. You can be a part of this change.

Alexandra Allred, adjunct professor at Tarleton State University has been in the fitness industry for nearly three decades and feels that the worst thing to ever happen to women trying to improve their health is Instagram. With hundreds of young "Insta-stars" seeking to post creative new ideas, the professionals suffer watching the aftermath. Many of the ideas promoted are dangerous and often very ineffectual. Allred suggests that instead of seeking answers through this platform, women should look to trained personal trainers to teach them the right exercise for their individual goals.

Discomfort and fear

"Women don't workout as much as they would like to, but they are discouraged due to fear of being judged. Women want an environment where they can feel safe, a no-judgement zone, and be surrounded by other females while working out.”

— Alejandra Font, Co-Founder of The Camp Transformation Center

Have you ever seen viral videos on YouTube of people using equipment incorrectly at the gym? Lucy Harris of Hello Baby Bump shares her experience based on fears of this happening to her:

"When it came to going to the gym, I was extremely anxious. I thought that I would end up in one of those videos you see of people not using the equipment correctly.

To begin, I did a lot of online research to see how to use particular pieces of equipment. However, these weren't necessarily helpful as they were difficult to understand. I did try watching other people at the gym to see how they used the equipment, but when I tried, I ended up hurting myself because I wasn't using the correct technique or form!

I knew I was going to be incredibly uncomfortable asking anyone in the gym how to use the equipment. I opted to hire a personal trainer for a few sessions to run me through the equipment, proper form, techniques and even how to plan a workout. This was the most effective and helpful for me."

Alysa Boan, NASM Certified Personal Trainer for FitnessTrainer.com and RealFitnessMaven is a huge advocate of clients taking advantage of any trainer or staff at a local gym, studio, or group fitness center. She says, "They are there to answer questions, and should be more than willing to work with you on form, safety, and effectiveness. The gym environment can be intimidating. Rather than walking directly to a cardio machine because they don't know what else to do, I love seeing a woman confident enough to walk in and pick up a set of weights next to a guy."

Now what?

"Women want to go where they are accepted, supported, and surrounded by other women who are working on common goals. You want the gym to offer a place where you can go relieve stress, get in shape but also have fun. A gym is often a therapeutic place for our client.”

— Kimberlee White, Co-Founder of Jabz Boxing

Heading to the gym to work out should be an enjoyable part of your day. You should never need to worry about people judging you, feeling stupid, or hurting yourself. As Allred says, “Own it! Stop feeling like you do not belong. You belong when you ask. You belong when you learn. You belong when you are unafraid to step outside your comfort zone to t-r-a-i-n!”

As you look for the perfect gym, ask a lot of questions and don't take no for an answer. Check to make sure that the facility has the amenities you would like to use. There is no shame in being too careful!