Women-only exercise class launches in St Pauls

St Pauls Community Sports Academy, managed by Everyone Active in partnership with Bristol City Council, has launched the class following a pilot which received overwhelming praise from the women involved.

Focused on circuit-style training, the purpose of the new class is to provide a supportive and inclusive space where women feel empowered to work towards their health and fitness goals.

According to Sport England, there are 300,000 fewer women than men who are regularly active, which is due to a variety of factors – including the lack of female-centric spaces.

Cultural practices, past experiences and personal preferences are all reasons why women may feel more comfortable and confident in a female-only space.

Organisers hope these classes will help towards bridging the gender gap in Bristol.

Open to all ages and abilities, the classes launched on Tuesday 10 September and will take place every week at 12pm.

Niki Forgacs, activity and wellbeing coordinator at Everyone Active in Bristol, said: “Exercise is so important for health and wellness, but we recognise that typical gym environments aren’t always accessible or inclusive for women. That’s why we wanted to launch an exercise class that was made for women, by women.

“We needed to get it right, so we carried out a pilot to understand what the local community wanted in a women-only activity space, and if a class like this would actually encourage them to exercise. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, so we can’t wait to launch these women-only circuits as regular sessions.

“The goal of these classes is to bring positive change in women’s lives and empower them to engage in physical activity in a space that feels supportive and inclusive.”

Christina Gray, Director for Communities and Public Health at Bristol City Council, said: “Regular exercise is a key component to health and wellbeing, with gyms playing a huge part in facilitating active living. Yet, we are seeing a significant gender gap when it comes to physical activity, because women are less regularly active than men.

“While this can be put down to a variety of issues, the fact remains that many of our city’s gyms are lacking accessible spaces for women to comfortably pursue their health and fitness goals.

“We want to tackle this issue head-on and create safe, inclusive environments that allow everyone to enjoy the myriad benefits of exercise, which is why I am so pleased to see that St Pauls Community Sports Academy’s pilot scheme has been such a resounding success.

“I look forward to seeing more gyms discovering new approaches to empowering under-represented groups in their communities and urge all women in the St Pauls area and beyond to consider signing up for this brilliant initiative.”

Each class costs £3.50 to attend, or is included in a membership. For more information, visit here.