Women’s only workout spaces: how do we feel about them?

I can see from the replies that there are some gyms where a women only section is desirable - especially the unstaffed 24hr gyms.

But I'm guessing that my gym isn't unusual in the safe and welcoming vibe that is present in all of its spaces. All facilities (other than toilets/changing) are mixed sex and the men don't appear to be badly behaved.

What does happen is a kind of unintentional segregation, in that the free weights bit is very, very male and many of the classes are entirely female (or have just the occasional man).

I love the vibe of these women-only classes. Very different indeed from a mixed space. But I also love it that men come sometimes and are happy to cope with the femaleness of the space. I also love it that a few women go into the free weights bit without any problems. I'm sure there sometimes are problems, because men. But on the whole I like the dual experience of majority-female spaces welcoming men and majority-male spaces welcoming women.

I'm in a very friendly part of the country, though. I was struck when I first moved here that men were more likely here (than in my former region) to engage in simple friendly gossipy chat with women

My nearest gym is one of those 24 hour ones which is often unstaffed and you have to go through weird futuristic double doored capsules to get in. It's huge and multi level and tbh I do find it an intimidating space. It's the lack of staff, the presence of men, and also the architecture of it. Lots of dark corners and lurking places. Changing rooms that are completely cut off that nobody could hear you from. With pathetic flimsy shower curtains. And of course they had a self id policy on changing rooms anyway. I'm no longer a member.

I go to a weightlifting gym and am often the only woman there. I always feel comfortable, but then again, I guess I'm possibly slightly arrogant. I'm in my early 40s, so may be too old to get any grief regardless, but I see young girls walk in and they also don't get looks or stares from anyone. Perhaps I struck lucky and it's just a nice gym.

I think women-only spaces are great for those who want them and who HAVE experienced bad behaviour from men.

From a fitness perspective though, I like mixed spaces as I find I push myself harder in them. That's one of the reasons why I like cross fit.

Would prefer a no kids gym but I'm a grump.

Brava

Tbh I think anything that helps women get into fitness is a good thing. I don’t think it’s a negative - agree with some posters about the different vibe especially in more traditional gyms, and I think if you’re a woman who’s experienced male violence the gym with men working hard to be more powerful us probably a space where you def need a segregated option.
it’s also good for women in religions who have various rules that would otherwise prevent them going.

its optional usually rather than enforced as well.

You’re maybe at a more civilised gym than me. At mine the guys swear, grunt like pigs and drop the weights. Pure gym. I stick with it as it’s cheap and near my house but I hate the vibe when there’s lots of guys in.

I think that often there just aren’t enough women interested in particular activities for it to work well. My gym for example holds several activities with separate classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced, mixed sex. They also have a women-only class for a couple of the activities, but there aren’t enough women to have separate classes based on skill level, so it’s one mixed level class and unfortunately it tends towards beginner level, so I don’t bother. So I suppose we’re back to the issue of how to get more women involved in sports which they traditionally eschew.

When I lift, I don’t care who’s around tbh. I have my earbuds in, my music on, and I’m concentrating on my reps. Everyone else is just doing likewise, male or female we all quietly pretend we’re alone.

I haven't used a gym for many years, but when I last did I went to women only gym. I really enjoyed the relaxed and female friendly vibe of the whole thing. If I should go again, that is most definitely what i'd be looking for.

I was always sporty in my youth, and went to an all girls school where sport was a strong feature. To my mind it is perfectly natural and comfortable to be playing sport, doing yoga, and/or exercising with other women.

Anything that keeps men away is fine by me - I'm fed up of having to deal with their shitty behaviour.

Nope, not for me. I like going in the morning with my fellow gym bro's. I learn a lot from them re form but mostly we all just get on with our workouts.
If you're intimidated by the free weight section hire a trainer to give you confidence but, I'd say this should apply to women only gyms too.
Ive never encountered bad behaviour from the men at my gym. In fact it's often women i find who behave in an entitled way.

It’s also the grunting and the swearing I’d like a break from. Oh and the performative dropping of weights

I feel they’re an important option for women who want or need them for whatever reason. As the PP said, it’s not an either/or.

It's not either/or.

Women only spaces give us the space and respite we need to realise how men, often unconsciously, impose on us and restrict us in our lives. Sometimes because of what they actually do, often just because we are chanjng what we do because of what they might do.

And "what they do" isn't just how they might hurt us, it's also friendly but uninvited interaction that nevertheless sucks away our time and focus, or entitled overoccupation of supposedly common resources. It's ending the day realising your smile muscles are tired from holding a pleasant expression that you don't feel all day and your shoulders are tight from being a little on edge all day.

Getting away from that is what gives us the perspective to realise male behaviour is the problem and the energy to fight it so in the long term maybe we could need fewer women only spaces.

There is no women-only space at the (council-run) gym I go to, and afaik no poor behaviour either. There are always staff on duty to answer queries and potentially deal with issues as they arise. We are lucky.

I've never used one to be honest. I use a mixed gym.
We do have a women's gym on the site but I don't feel the need to use it.

I used to attend a class at a women only gym and I quite liked the vibe, I was only about 22 at the time and it was nice to be around women of all ages.

Personally I like women’s only classes in that they are a woman centred space rather than an absence of men.

Not fussed about sharing a gym with men otherwise, I work in an office with men and get on a bus with men.

I'm old and some men have always posed a threat. I don't see this changing in my lifetime. I would only be interested in women only classes.