From “just not feeling it” to "too busy, too tired", we all have our own excuses for not working out when we know we probably should. But while we may laugh off our own lack of motivation while reaching for another biscuit and resigning ourselves to a night in with Netflix, the truth is that our inactivity has far more long-lasting implications than simply being unable to squeeze into that party dress. In fact, it's thought to contribute to one in 10 deaths across the world annually.
And despite men having a lower life expectancy than women in almost every country, it's women's participation in sport and exercise that is consistently falling short. In the US, just 20 per cent of adults get their recommended weekly quota of exercise, with women falling far behind men in this respect. Across the pond, it's a similar story. Sport England, a public body sponsored by the British government and dedicated to increasing access to sport for all, estimates that two million fewer women regularly play sport or participate in exercise compared to men.
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Behind this disparity is predominantly the “fear of judgement”, either because of “appearance, ability or how they chose to spend time on themselves.” Despite this, 75 per cent of women say they would like to be more active. So is there a solution? Some say there is, but not everyone's going to like it. The answer is women’s only gym sessions.
These sessions are part of a broader range of suggestions made by the team behind #ThisGirlCan, an initiative to get more women participating in sport on a regular basis in the UK. They stress that it's not women that need to change, but the attitudes of leisure providers towards the provisions available to women, telling them: “Change the offer to suit the women you are targeting - don’t expect women to change to fit sport and exercise.” This also extends to facilities, such as installing hairdryers or adding crèches for mothers.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that until recently, I thought the idea of women’s only gym nights was unnecessary and, if anything, slightly patronising. But as someone that already works out regularly, it didn’t occur to me that women might still feel uncomfortable, or even limited, in the gym environment. But then I joined a new gym, one that already has the scheme, and all of a sudden Tuesday became my favourite gym day of the week. Forget leg day, girl day is where it’s at. That said, it’s the weights area where the difference is most immediately visible; throughout the rest of the week, the area is dominated by men while women stick to the cardio machines, but on girls’ night, the running machines empty out as women feel encouraged and capable of owning this ‘male zone.’ This shift isn’t insignificant either, with resistance training being hugely effective in promoting fat loss and particularly important in maintaining bone density.
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But on an even more important level, it’s the sense of inclusion that prevails. The people in there are different, with women that you don’t see for the rest of the week coming in and to get their sweat on. Women come in with their friends and catch up while using the exercise bikes and it becomes as much as a social thing as a health thing, something that #ThisGirlCan have posited as especially important in encouraging women to be consistent when it comes to exercise. Given that "mom guilt" - the belief that they will be judged as neglecting maternal responsibilities - has been cited by women as one of the main reasons they do not make the time to engage in sport, to see and interact with other women doing this is both supportive and empowering.And while I would never condone the idea that women should feel uncomfortable in front of men, if I'm honest, it's a lot easier not to feel self-conscious squatting low in front of another woman than a bloke you don't know. Because fact is, that women in gyms do face sexual harassment; as The Guardian pointed out: "In three years the Everyday Sexism Project has received a whopping 984 testimonies from women writing about their experiences of sexism, harassment and assault at the gym; 541 related to swimming pools." And that's only the ones that have taken the time to write in.
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And this one, because it's just too bloody annoying:
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It is also true that there is a disparity in the levels of participation in sport among communities and these nights can be even more important in counteracting the cultural challenges that traditional gyms can sometimes create. “Women-only sessions are particularly important to some communities and need to be delivered appropriately,” advises Sport England, citing the installation of shields to protect the pool and gym from view, and the presence of female staff to assist and fix machinery.
It’s not a coincidence that, for the most part, the majority of individuals who seem to take exception to the idea of women’s-only nights are men. One guy even got so incensed over the issue he tried to take his local council to court, describing the idea as being driven by a group of “male-averse feminists” and giving women their own space to work out as “like trying to clean a dirty face by rubbing a mirror”, whatever that even means. But this is nothing to do with excluding men, and certainly nothing to do with being embarrassed to work out in front of men. Instead, it’s to do with creating safe spaces where women feel comfortable and confident, where they can put the emotional hangovers of school locker room jibes behind them and be free of their kids, and, even for just one hour a week, support and encourage each other, as mums and as women; saggy bits, flabby bits and all.
If I asked you which gender you believe has more pressure put on them to look perfect, you'd probably laugh in my face. Rolling your eyes and dismissing the question, there's a strong chance you'd see the enquiry as ridiculous, short-sighted or even sexist. Generally speaking, it's an accepted fact that women are always under more pressure than men when it comes to appearance. But the phrase "try walking a mile in my shoes" is perhaps one of the most the most relevant sayings when it comes to talking about men and women.
For centuries, society has spoken about the fact that women are made to feel awful about their looks. They discuss it passionately and with good reason. Almost any female out there will happily reel off an endless list of the societal pressures that sit on their shoulders every single day: we must be thin, but also have beguiling curves in all the right places; we must have long silky hair and when it turns to grey, we're told to dye it back. We should have clear skin but if we don't, we're expected to wear make-up to cover our acne up (but remember, not too much make-up). However, while we're perched in the hotseat feeling like all eyes are on us, many of us assume that men don't feel the same pressures - and, chances are, we're wrong.
The cost of being a woman is sky high, but studies show that in the 21st century, more and more men are paying the price as well. According to reports, men spent an estimated whopping 14.8 billion pounds worldwide on grooming in 2016, suggesting that times are changing and guys are feeling the heat to look good as well. Look around you and you'll see that men are turning to waxing studios, threading their eyebrows, slapping on the fake tan and hitting the gym harder than ever before. The evidence shows that a lot of men could read out their very own list of insecurities about their looks, with the hang-ups ranging from balding and muscle tone, to beer bellies, acne and height-doubt.
In 2016, the Chapman University study, which analysed reports from more than 100,000 men across five national studies, discovered that up to 40 percent of men were dissatisfied with their overall physical appearance, weight, and/or muscle tone and size. In addition, most men also felt that they were judged by others based on their appearance and said they've compared the way they look with other men at social events.
Researchers also looked at the differences in body hang-ups between gay and heterosexual men and discovered that, while gay men were more likely to feel pressure to look attractive (and even avoid sex because of body insecurities), heterosexual men experienced a lot of the same issues, even if they weren't overweight. In fact, 20 per cent of heterosexual men with a normal weight said they hide some aspect of their body during sex with the most common areas being their stomach, chest, butt and thighs, and genitals.
While it's fascinating to find out that males are also feeling like they're consistently falling short of expectations, the question is, are they comparable to the strife of women? When VT spoke to men out there, many of them seemed to believe that the pressure put on men and women was equal these days.
"I think men these days are a lot more aware about physical standards and I think a lot more insecure as a result in general though the idea of masculinity is changing and under scrutiny, so men are maybe working a little harder to attract a mate? I think the playing field is getting somewhat levelled. On the one side, you’ve got female body positivity and self-acceptance whereas there’s not really a male equivalent and when you’re an insecure guy looking at all the man buns and six packs etc online it’s only natural that you’d feel a bit more pressure to stand out from the crowd"
- Henry, 22
"I think the thing is that women are expected by society to care about their appearance, while if men do, they're laughed at. I reckon if a lad put on weight, people would think it's okay to make fun of him, some people, anyway. I've definitely heard my mates slapping our friend's beer belly and telling him that he better get down to the gym. Also, if a guy goes down to a salon and gets a fake tan, or does his eyebrows, people think it's hilarious, so the pressure is put on, but when we try to do something about it, we're laughed at a lot of the time."
"The thing is, you can find a guy who fancies any type of girl: tall, short, chubby, thin, whatever. But you'll rarely find a girl who's like 'I want a chubby guy' or 'I want a really short guy' or 'a bald guy' or whatever. So, consider that and you tell me, which gender has to conform to an ideal?"
- Rob, 34
"In 2017 I believe men are just as conscious and pressured to look a certain way as women. I can appreciate the pressure was more openly spoken about on women in the past, but thanks to social media and gender equality (both great things), men now face the same pressures as women (celebs on Instagram), and are open to as much criticism."
Steven, 25
"I think we are judged as much on appearance, but it's made more difficult because we'll be judged and if we try to solve the problem, whatever it is, we'll be either called 'unmanly' - I know exactly what my friends would say if one of us got a fake tan - or just laughed at. So that makes it harder because we deal with the pressure, but we can't do anything about it without getting ripped to shreds."
Tom, 31
"I think it's the same pressure, but different. I feel like guys are under tons of pressure on a daily basis, from guys and girls alike. I feel like men are under a lot of pressure, to look good, to have things like cars, a good job and be mentally fit. If the TV projects it, then often that's what's expected. It's only recently those barriers are breaking down, but it's a slow one and as values change, so do the areas that pressure comes from."
- Matt, 22
"I do think that men are under more pressure to look attractive, and I do think that men are being objectified far more nowadays, but I don’t think it’s anywhere as bad for men as it is for women. I think men often pursue status and money to compensate, and women aren’t encouraged to do this as much, which is telling. I think that ugly women have a much harder time than ugly men, but that average-looking men are finding it harder and harder to be noticed, compared to average-looking women."
Callum, 26
So, do you agree with any of the men we talked to? There's no denying that many people out there will be angered by this point of view and will insist that women are under a million times more pressure when it comes to body image - and perhaps they're right. But, on the other hand, is it me, or do these guys kind of have a point? We should always acknowledge the astronomical pressure put on women for their looks, but there's no denying that expectations of men have been heightened in the 21st century and the tables are slowly, but surely, turning. However, ultimately we'll never truly know because we'll never get a chance to walk a mile in their shoes.
Featured illustration by Egarcigu
For many women, the gym can be an uncomfortable place.
Having to deal with men watching you or - worse still - trying to talk to you doesn't exactly make working out any easier. So it's no surprise that when one TikToker shared a video of her female-only gym, some women got very excited.
However, they weren't the only ones interested in the clip, which sparked a debate about whether women-only gyms were a form of "segregation".
The debate was sparked after TikTok user @heatherhuesman posted a video tour of her women's only gym captioned "The BEST GYM! We need these everywhere, we feel so safe and comfortable going to the gym."
As well as explaining that it was open 24/7 to women only, the video shows how you can't see through the gym's windows, in order to afford those inside total privacy.
It also demonstrated the securely locked doorway only accessible to members and pointed out a sign letting women know when male staff would be in the building.
On top of all these features, the video showed that there are even free menstrual products on offer.
A lot of women took to the comments section, saying how much they loved the idea.
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"We need more of these!" one wrote.
"That's a dream," another commented.
"This looks so cool! I hope there are some in my area," a third added.
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However, a lot of others disagreed, arguing that a women's only gym was a form of segregation.
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"This is textbook segregation," one user commented.
"Now THAT'S sexist," agreed a second.
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A lot of women clapped back, asking men why they were getting so riled up about something that didn't really affect them.
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"Why are men getting mad that women have a place they feel safe at?" asked one.
"Why do you care? It will mean less people at other gyms so surely that just a good thing," pointed out another.
"This isnt a new concept why are men mad," wrote a third, adding "Let women feel comfortable."
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Not all men were opposed to the idea - some even commented saying they supported it.
"As a male I think that this is a good idea because some men these days are really weird and is also good for religious people," one guy wrote.
This story comes after one woman shared her "hickey hack" she developed in order to deter men from bothering her at the gym. And this personal trainer was praised by social media users after her response to a guy she says she caught staring at her while she worked out at the gym.
Featured Image Credit: Albert Shakirov / Alamy Stock Photo
As we enter our third week of 2019, it's becoming clear that most people around us have already given up on their New Year's resolutions. We all know about the folks who have had a cheeky beer when they were meant to be doing dry January, and - looking around the office right now - I can say for sure that at least half the people who committed to veganuary have probably eaten bacon in the last 48 hours.
But for those who are still persevering: good on you - especially if you've taken the plunge and joined the gym.
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The first few times in the gym can be incredibly daunting, particularly for people who aren't used to exercise. The workout alone is tough enough, but doing in front of other people just makes the whole thing 10 times more intimidating. And it certainly doesn't help when other gym-goers decide to pick on the newbies.
You wouldn't think this is something that happens often (if at all) amongst grown adults, but it does - and one guy on Reddit recently posted about an incident he had to intervene.
"I was at the gym this morning and a group of two women and a man were very obviously laughing at/talking about another woman who was clearly new and nervous about being there," said the guy, who goes by the username, 'JohnSnow1982'.
"I didn't realise what was happening at first because I had my headphones in, but then I saw one of the women pull out her phone to take a video. The woman they were making fun of knew it was happening and was almost in tears."
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Eventually, the woman couldn't take it anymore, and got off the treadmill to leave for the locker room. The man felt bad for not stepping in, and followed her to check if she was alright.
"When I went back to the locker room, the woman was crying and she quietly told me that she didn't know what she was doing but she was trying to learn," he said. "She had recently lost her parent to a weight-related heart attack, and the doctors said she was headed down the same path if she wasn't careful. I told her that we all start somewhere."
And this is where it gets really sweet.
"I asked her to finish working out with me and that I would help her learn what I know, because I was in the same place a year ago."
Even better: he says he also got the three bullies banned from the facilities.
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"In the end... three members got permanently banned, and I made a new friend," he said.
"I know we all get frustrated when the gym is busier at the beginning of the year, but it's hard to really understand how much of an impact we can have on other people's journeys.
"Please, PLEASE help others feel welcome...you don't even have to talk to them. Just give them a smile or a nod.
"You could be changing somebody's life."
So, if you're trying to stick to a New Year's resolution, or if you see someone else doing their best to work out at the gym, just remember: getting fit is a learning curve for everyone, and persistence is the main thing that matters.
An ex Olympic weightlifter has been praised on social media for her take on transgender women competing in sports.
Per Indy100, Laura Mariel, who competed four times in national weightlifting competitions in the US, took to TikTok earlier this week to share her thoughts on the controversial issue.
When asked about what she thought on the subject by another TikTok user, Mariel was quick to share her two cents.
"I think a lot of people use this question as an excuse for their bigotry," she said. "A lot of people that are concerned about transgender women in sports have not given a flying f*** about me as a female athlete."
"You don't care about the inequalities in opportunities, in pay, in airtime... You don't care about the blatant misogyny that still exists within sports today," she added.
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Mariel added:
"Basically, people who have not cared one bit about my wellbeing as a female athlete, and are probably the same people who have bullied me, are now concerned about my competitive opportunities as a female athlete because of transgender women."
On Twitter, a number of social media users have praised Mariel's attitude as empathetic and understanding, and have agreed with her assessment on the hot button topic.
One wrote: "To everyone saying she didn't answer the question: most people asking this question want their biases against transgender people confirmed, not corrected.
"There is no actual answer that will satisfy their curiosity because they don't actually want an answer. It's a talking point."
Meanwhile, another added: "I have long made this point. It is amazing how so many people claim to care about women’s sports when it comes to transgender athletes.
"But they never care enough to campaign for equal pay or support women’s sports by watching in greater numbers. Odd."
While a third wrote: "I'll be honest, this is outside of my usual concerns. I had no real opinion on the subject at all, but this has opened my eyes!
"Fantastically put across and I will be using everything she said in any conversations on this topic I may have in the future."
Per Reuters, the IOC confirmed that Hubbard, who was assigned as male at birth but who came out as transgender back in 2013, would be able to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in an official statement issued on Saturday, July 17.
Commenting on the decision in an official press conference, IOC chief Thomas Bach stated: "The IOC is in an inquiry phase with all different stakeholders… to review these rules and finally to come up with some guidelines.
"The rules are in place and the rules have to be applied and you cannot change the rules during an ongoing qualification system. This is what all the athletes of the world are relying on: that the rules are being applied."
Overweight people have to put up with the fact that they're constantly being seconded-guessed at every opportunity, and told that they're too fat to participate and compete in sports and athletics - to the detriment of their health and self-esteem. It's an unfair double-edged sword: the very people who are being told to lose weight and exercise are the very same people who are often mocked or bullied for attempting to do so.
One person who hasn't let her weight stop her from doing what she wants is 33-year-old carer Emma Collins. Emma, who is a size 20, has gone on to flourish as a competitive pole dancer - winning national and international competitions. However, despite her myriad successes, she faced plenty of prejudice and judgement when she first got into it. In fact, she only decided to take up the sport when other patrons at her local gym made her feel unwelcome because of her size.
Emma first took an interest in pole dancing in 2013. For most of her adult life, her waistline had made her feel embarrassed and out of place next to her skinnier friends. She tried a number of different fad diets, from SlimFast to Weight Watchers, but none managed to change her BMI. Worse yet, when she joined a gym she often felt uncomfortable and self-conscious, and other gym bunnies did little to increase her confidence.
"I would get funny looks from other gymers when I was on the treadmill or one of the machines," Emma claims. "Sometimes people would say something under their breath and it was all just quite unpleasant and made me feel like I shouldn’t be there." However, when a friend of hers suggested that join her at a taster class for pole dancing, Emma decided to try it out. By the end of her first session, she was completely hooked.
Emma stated: "People used to say that I didn’t belong in a gym, that I was too big to be there. They made me feel out of place, but now I’m the one who is winning championships and travelling round the country doing the sport I love. I’m quite unusual on the pole dancing circuit because dancers tend to be small, size tens and people are often surprised. But when they see me on that pole they are always amazed and are so encouraging."
She added: "I loved it from the off. It was really challenging to do some of the moves and spins, and I didn’t realise how much strength was required but it felt like something I could work towards. I was the biggest girl there easily but everyone was really nice and encouraging. Five years on after my first lesson, I’m still going strong. The same can’t be said for the friend who invited me though – she quit pretty quickly!"
Emma does admit that her weight makes it extra difficult to mastering some moves, especially hanging upside down, and that her flexibility is somewhat reduced because of this. However, she believes that her strength and the 10 hours a week she spends training have managed to compensate for this. Now she feels confident enough to regularly post videos and pictures of herself performing her routines online. You go Emma: your commitment to your sport truly is inspirational.
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