A Kansas gym is sparking a real discussion online for the way it protects and accommodates women.
Blush Fitness, located in Overland Park, Kansas, is a gym like no other. While it certainly isn't the only women's gym, it has widely been praised for going above and beyond for its female patrons.
Noting that discomfort while working out is something that a lot of female gym-goers have felt in mainstream fitness centers, Blush Fitness ensures any peeping toms will have nothing more than their reflection to peer at through their tinted windows.
And there are plenty of other benefits that the gym provides as one regular, 23-year-old Heather Huesman, raved about in a viral TikTok video.
Heather captioned the video: "The BEST GYM! We need these everywhere, we feel so safe and comfortable going to the gym, gonna be my new favorite spot!"
The short vid shows the TikToker going about her day at the gym as she reels off the various benefits it provides women.
Some of these perks include the gym being open 24/7 to women only and that the front door is locked so "only members and women can get in".
What's more, the gym even notifies women when men, for whatever reason, will be in the building. Plus, they even provide free feminine hygiene products such as tampons and pads.
Since the clip was posted on April 28, it has managed to rack up an impressive 5.7 million views at the time of writing.
It has also received 1.8 million likes and 63.5K comments, with many applauding the concept of a women-only gym.
One person simply wrote: "Love this," before another agreed, writing: "This is amazing."
A male TikTok user agreed, writing: "I'm a guy but this is such a great idea!!! Women really need a safe space, I hope more places like this open up."
However, not everyone was so keen on the idea of a safe space for women while they work out, with one person noting: "This doesn't sound like equality".
Another wrote: "Ain't we stop segregation like 60 years ago [sic]", before a third critic said: "Why [are] we going backwards."
However, supporters of the concept argued that there are many gendered spaces in society, even ones exclusively for males - for example, all-boys schools or gentleman clubs:
In any case, Heather responded to the criticism in a recent interview with BuzzFeed, saying: "I don’t think the gym is segregation at all. I honestly love the idea of an all-men’s gym as well.
"I think if someone is mad that there's an all-women’s gym, it’s because they want women [in their co-ed gym] for a reason."
She added: "Whatever makes people feel comfortable working out at a gym is what should be done. Everyone is there for a reason and needs to start somewhere!"
What do you think of the concept of women-only gyms? Is it a form of segregation or are they merely catering to the needs of their target demographic? Let us know in the comments!
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