Women prefer a variety in gym options

3/21/2008The numbers of Americans that are overweight or obese continue to rise at an alarming rate. More than 60 percent of women are overweight or obese, and with only 50 percent of them reporting that they engage in at least 10 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, the numbers for an overweight and obese female population will only continue to rise.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the sixth edition of the Women's Health USA data book. The 2007 edition contains information that confirms that American women's physical health is at serious risk.

Regular physical activity promotes physical health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.

Many people get their exercise in gyms, but gyms can seem like intimidating places for women. Heather Cunningham, a personal fitness trainer, says that she often hears women complaining about not feeling comfortable when "guys are grunting and screaming" in the gym.

Many women claim that they can never be comfortable exercising around men. The reasons range from past abuse to religious requirements to shame.

In response to a need for women wanting a comfortable gym to exercise in, women's only fitness centers sprang up. One of the most popular is Healthworks, whose first center opened more than 30 years ago in Salem, Mass.

Aleisha Agard, Healthworks marketing director, says the reasoning behind women's only facilities is to create an environment that is comfortable. "Women have special needs and we cater to those."

Agard describes the atmosphere of these centers as more relaxed and friendly. "The mood is different because everyone's more comfortable."

Healthworks sees itself as providing its members with a "supportive, progressive environment" where females can meet their fitness goals.

Heather Hayes, a Healthworks member, said she believes that all female fitness centers are especially important for older women. "It's not competitive and you don't feel out of place, no matter what your physical fitness level is."

Melissa Thornton, a fitness director for Healthworks, said she believes that all female fitness centers are particularly important for women new to exercising. They have a "much greater comfort level at an all women facility" as opposed to a co-ed one.

If women are to reverse this unhealthy lifestyle trend, fitness professionals say that women must have more than one choice at hand when deciding on a fitness center.

"I think that many women would not be working out or joining a gym if it weren't for all women facilities," Thornton said.

Hayes describes her all female fitness center as laid back and more comfortable than co-ed gyms to which she belonged in the past. She said she's no longer intimidated by men in the weight room who would often say such "condescending" things like, "Do you need help with that sweetheart?"

Cunningham doesn't think "it would matter if a woman worked out at a women's facility or a co-ed facility" when it comes to achieving her fitness goals. "If that person puts the effort and time into achieving their fitness goals, they will achieve them eventually no matter the atmosphere they are in."

With the rising popularity of all female fitness centers and Harvard University recently allotting female only gym time in their co-ed facility, there are many arguments that women need these spaces in order to achieve their physical fitness goals.

Research conducted by Healthworks found that many women surveyed would not have starting exercising if it wasn't for an all women's facility Thornton said. It was found though that once these women were comfortable exercising that they were not opposed to going to a co-ed gym.

When it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter whether women belong to an all-female facility or a co-ed one, but it does matter that the option is there for them.

Each woman's comfort level is different for a variety of reasons. If women are going to reverse the trend in becoming overweight or obese, they must have options in order to achieve their fitness goals. For some women, an all female fitness center is just the option they need to begin their journey to a healthier lifestyle.