3 minute read
Why do Women Feel Uncomfortable in the Gym?
Why Do Women Feel Uncomfortable at the Gym?
69% of women don’t go to the gym because they feel anxious. I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. It has to change.
Words by Emma Barton
Ienjoy looking after my body. I watch what I eat but never forbid myself from enjoying tasty treats or a nice snack. I love to keep fit, but I think balance is a key part of taking care of yourself. Sure, working out is great for aesthetic reasons if that is what you are looking to achieve. However, working out, for me, has additional benefits. I feel healthier, I have more energy and stamina, and as many people know, exercise has been known to release endorphins which causes one to feel emotions of happiness. Why then, when I go to the gym, do I feel increased levels of anxiety?
I have danced since I was a child, studies have shown that putting a child into dance classes increases their levels of confidence. However, the minute I set foot in a gym this confidence escapes my body and I shyly pad my way over to the quietest corner of the room. Saturday nights and Sunday mornings are my go-to because I know that people will be out or recovering from the night before. I feel like I’m being watched when I’m there. Sometimes I am. I try to stare back until a guy feels as uncomfortable as he made me.
After realising my own anxieties around going to the gym, I took to Instagram to ask other women if they felt the same. It was reassuring to find that almost everyone I engaged with felt the same as me. I felt a sense of comfort at knowing I wasn’t alone. But I was met with a different emotion, one of concern and frustration; this new knowledge unsettled me.
My super-scientific Instagram poll showed me that 69% of women didn’t go to the gym because they felt anxious about it. 80% said they felt better about going when they had a friend with them. It wasn’t great to read “it makes me feel less uncomfortable when people stare at me if my friend is there.” I found it crazy that almost everyone who answered my questions said that they had caught someone watching them in the gym – this is a pandemic in itself. I laughed out loud at one guy’s response when he said he wanted to attend a female only gym - thanks for proving my point, mate. I can’t really say I was all too shocked at the comment. I know not all men are creeps who watch women work out at the gym, but one is enough for me to stay away.
I shouldn’t feel nervous to work out, I shouldn’t feel as though I need an entourage to go to the gym. I guess my feminine guilt will tell me it’s my own mentality and I’m being dramatic once again.
Women are tired of feeling guilty. We are tired of being told we’re dramatic. These feelings of anxiety in the gym aren’t isolated incidents. There’s a clear pattern. A chain of entitlement that must be broken.
Top Five Fitness Apps
Words by Cara Blackhall
1. Couch to 5K
A running plan with the aim of gradually building you up to run a 5km within nine weeks. Your schedule will change as you progress and become more confident.
2. 7-minute workout
The app is free to use and works your lower body, upper body and core. Everyone can give up seven minutes of their day, so why not use it to benefit your physical health?
3. Fitbod Weightlifting Trainer
The app is a customised programme which allows you to choose different types of fitness methods that are best suited towards your fitness level.
4. Sworkit
An app with a wide range of workouts that can be done with no equipment. You can choose to go premium too, which will give you access to even more.
5. FitOn
Available on Android and IOS, the app contains strength, cardio, and yoga, as well as HIIT workouts too.
