Female only gyms.

I don't think many women would choose the gym where I live- it's full of steroidal apes, and a bloke got shot in there in a drugs dispute. Oddly, the all-female zumba classes get more female customers. That's what I mean about de facto male spaces being unwelcoming.

I just love sport and would like to encourage everyone, no matter shape, age, sex and ability. So yes, choice works for me.

Choice. Isn't it nice that we have choice?

I'm fine in mixed gyms too though quite confident physically, not noticeably overweight and quite sporty. The gym I used had all types, fit, overweight, pensioners etc - never noticed any sniggering or atmosphere in fact it was a good vibe for the sexes to mix and folk just got on with it. I can understand why some people men and women though would have issues so male only or female only is fine, especially if it gets more non- active folk out and doing something.

Always used mixed gyms - never occurred to me to go to a woman only one.
Always feels more 'normal' to be in a place that reflects society rather than a male or female only ghetto. Never ever had any problem with blokes. They're just human beings, same as us.

My gym is quite small with a capacity of just 15 people. It is mixed and I have never felt uncomfortable. The men are either in the same boat as me (overweight and trying to improve their health/fitness) or otherwise tend to be bodybuilder types who are too busy looking in the mirror while pulling weights to care about what others are doing. It's a great place.

I don't see the need myself, and am quite happy to go to a mixed gym, never had any problems or felt uncomfortable. I would have thought judging for being overweight would be at least as likely to come from other women, not that I've noticed anything like that, people are generally focused on their own workout not looking at others.

But I wouldn't have a problem with male-only gyms if there was the demand for them, as long as there was somewhere I could go. One of the swimming pools near me has weekly men-only sessions, I don't find it a problem. Like the women's sessions, they don't tend to be scheduled at popular times anyway.

I dont think many women are worried about men ogling at them in the gym its usually the opposite, if you are there are you need to get fitter, healthier the last thing you want is a bunch of poser's who may be sniggering at you.

I may be alone here but as someone who is/was overweight not as much now If I walked into a gym full of posery girls I would wlak straight out women are far moire likely to *nudge,nudge wink wink look at her arse,muffin top, lovehandles etc to other women.

Most poser males in gyms are far too interested in their own reflection

but back on point I would feel at ease in a women only gym.

Dunno, at my pool they do board up the windows in the cafe and close viewing to stop men being able to see the women's session.

So, Triumph, should they board up the windows, bar men from the cafe, and schedule female lifeguards for those two hours?
Or should the half-dozen women live with the fact that it's a public pool, and members of the public (both genders!) may see them exercising?

I very much doubt that the women themselves care that there is a male lifeguard and a view from the cafe.

v good points kritiq

No it is a council run local pool. It is 2 hours a week.

My point is that it seems to be superficial not necessary and not taken seriously.

It's a bit chicken and egg.

You have men only sessions. Some women won't come for religious, cultural, modesty, body image, etc. reasons, so will not be able to benefit form the service.

If you audit your service users and see that certain groups aren't using the service, you might set up some specific services to encourage them (e.g. 60+ session, women only, etc.)

You might find that take up is low, high or in the middle. You might find that you attract different people from what you'd hoped. You might want to review your marketing policy to see if there are still barriers or if you aren't pitching it quite right.

Anyhoo, didn't care much for Triumph's comment about "overweight" women being self conscious and not wanting to go to "normal" swimming. Women of all sizes and shapes may feel more comfortable in a single sex session. Similarly, many overweight women don't give a fig about single or mixed sex sessions. Major league assumptions going on there.

Also, I don't swim regularly anymore, but my boss who does says that some men can be very "aggressive" in the pool, taking up lots of space, tutting and cursing if someone gets in their way (particularly women or less proficient swimmers) and although she is over 6 feet tall, she says it's made her feel uncomfortable and she knows other women who've stopped going to her pool (or at least the mixed sessions) because of the behaviour of men.

So, it may not be down to wanting to be in only an all male environment. Women might have no issue with a male attendant or men observing from the restaurant.

Was the gym/pool specifically built as a women's-only type thing, Triumph, or is it just for a particular session?

My point is that if you are going to exclude men then you would not want a male lifeguard, or men watching and having a sandwich in thecafe. That is the crazy bit.

As for the overweight women, they do feel self concious about exercising in front of men and hence they go to women only swimming. There are no normal sized women who go. They do not feel self concious and go to normal swimming.

I also do not understand the "overweight" comment. Why did you use it Triumph?

I think Triumph19 meant it is hardly 'women only' if there are men present or able to watch, which defeats the purpose.

I was puzzled by that too, kritiq. I wasn't sure if the 6 women were the crazy part, which seems unlikely, or the male lifeguard, which from the context seems like the intended 'crazy thing' but doesn't make any sense. Does the gender of the lifeguard really matter?

6 overweight women swimming.
Crazy.

Oh how charming you are

At our gym they have women only swimming but the cafe is open to men which looks over the pool and the sides of the pool to the street has glass.
And there is often a male lifeguard with about 6 overweight women swimming.
Crazy.

"I don't understand why he would have been allowed to watch the swimming session."
I know! I guess because nobody else objected and the leader did not see it as bid deal. Plus he was not obviously watching, just reading a newspaper and waiting for his wife, but still very obviously there... I found it odd.

I don't understand why he would have been allowed to watch the swimming session. Surely that would be problematic for Muslim women present (other than his wife)?

I think seperation of the sexes is a bad idea in the short and particularly long run. It seems to be getting worse as well.

"think", not "thing" oops

Exactly.
Problem comes when you want to have a woman only organisation that makes a profit. Then it becomes illegal. As for men too.

I think the gym thing is not only a club but also exercising. It may be embarrasing!