Inside the north west's newest gym, where only women are allowed
There’s a DJ nodding her head over her decks, which are festooned with balloons and blasting out dance music. There’s an array of drinks on hand – prosecco, ‘nosecco’ and orange juice.
The free weights area is stocked with racks of Y bells, an updated version of kettlebells that take the weight off your wrists during use, and there are screens throughout playing videos of women displaying the correct form of squats, lunges and push-ups. “I’ve overheard men in the changing rooms here talking about this and questioning why it’s needed, why it’s opening,” he said. “Then another man cut in and explained that it’s optional, an additional membership fee, and there will still be women in the gym, and that answered it.
What came up most in people’s answers was a private and dedicated space. “A place where I can try, can build confidence, a place where I can progress. Existing women’s spaces often cap dumbbells at a certain weight.” Another survey of 3,774 gym-goers carried out by RunRepeat in 2021 put that number at 56% – over two times higher than the number of male respondents reporting harassment in gyms .
The gym is located in the same building as the main gym, but has its own separate entrance and separate membership . It’s also available as a bolt-on membership for existing members at £16 extra a month. Clinton agreed. “We perhaps don’t feel it now, because we’re older, and by our age, you just don’t give a s**t. But the weights section is mostly male-dominated, and going over there can be intimidating, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you feel embarrassed.”
A mother and daughter who were on their way to Pilates also popped in to look at the new space. They primarily use their membership to go to classes.
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