A new study highlighting the persistent challenges women face in gym environments could offer some food for thought for gym and health club operators looking to make their spaces more inclusive to female members, including enforcing anti-harassment policies.
The findings come as low-cost gym chains continue to expand, memberships are on the rise, and female fitness consumers demonstrate a growing interest in strength training.
But both an internal and external struggle exists, researchers indicate, and it could dampen what should be an empowering gym experience.
The study, published in PLOS One and conducted by Emma Cowley from the SHE Research Centre at TUS, Ireland and Jekaterina Schneider from the University of the West of England, U.K., explored the often complex relationship between women’s body image (typically fueled by societal pressures) and their experiences in the gym.
Along with the expansion of high-value, low-priced gym chains, the authors note that #Fitspiration content on social media has “increased tenfold” in the last decade, also fueling the adoption of fitness regimens among women.
The researchers surveyed 279 women—84% of whom were current gym-goers and 68.1% white—using a 130-item mixed-methods survey. They identified four key themes:
Never Enough
Many women expressed distress over conflicting appearance ideals, desiring to be lean and muscular, but also “small and thin” —leading to a “never good enough” mentality.
Others worried about being judged for their form, technique, or skill level, and shared feeling insecure about looking “stupid” or “like a newbie.” These anxieties also influenced apparel choices, where respondents noted fear of judgement for wearing non-brand gym attire (believing it could signal being a novice) to looking “too put together” while sporting a new activewear set (and not being taken seriously).
Often Too Much
As the saying goes, we are our own worst critics. Women often use words such as “excessive,” “extra,”and “too” when criticizing their body, a mindset partially linked to limited gym attire options and sizes, the researchers found. Beyond size or shape, 17.8% of those surveyed said skin concerns impact how they feel about exercising in a gym.
Clothing challenges also appeared within this category. Many women say they struggle to find activewear that fits comfortably, particularly sports bras (59.6%) and leggings (40.4%), according to the findings.
However, the study’s authors also noted a connection between gym clothing choices and body confidence.
“This theme is related to the idea that fitness has a certain ‘look’ and that women fitting this look feel more comfortable wearing specific gym attire,” the authors wrote. “In other words, comfort and belonging in the gym are contingent on appearance.”
Always On Display
Perhaps the most pressing issue found from the study is that 46.6% of respondents reported receiving unsolicited compliments on their appearance at the gym, mostly from men (71.9%). Additionally, 39.2% reported being more intimidated by men when exercising and 29.2% felt more judged by them.
Women also reported having to “fight” for space in the gym and feeling they shouldn’t take up “too much space.”
“I’ve frequently been the only woman squatting or deadlifting where my rack only has one or two 45lb plates left hanging up,” one respondent shared. “Several times I’ve had men come and take the 45-lb plates from my squat rack even though other racks were closer to them or had more plates available. This often made me upset as there’s no reason for them to take the weight from my rack other than they don’t want to take it from a man.”
Sometimes Empowered
Notably, the study found that women reported feeling safer and more empowered in fitness spaces where performance was prioritized over appearance – which were described as private or CrossFit gyms as opposed to commercial or public gyms. Women-only spaces also made women feel comfortable, confident and empowered, according to their findings.
That being said, women still prefer commercial chain gyms (35.5%), followed by personal training or small group training gyms (16.8%).
However, several women shared that they gained confidence over time and said it felt empowering to break gender stereotypes and norms, with most women feeling most confident in the strength-based arena using free weights versus resistance machines.
What Can Gym Operators Do?
While gyms and health club operators are unable to address and solve every pain point women experience (i.e. ill-fitting sports bras or a negative inner dialogue), the researchers recommend that they can enforce anti-harassment policies to prevent unwanted comments or behaviors, training staff to recognize and address harassment while also cultivating a welcoming and safe environment and evaluating gym layouts that prioritize accessibility and comfort.
On a broader scale, they encourage public health campaigns that promote a cultural shift by “celebrating exercise as a means to improve health and well-being, moving away from a sole focus on aesthetics.”
Several fitness brands have already carved out a niche as a predominantly or women-only space, such as Pvolve, Blush Boot Camp, Kaia Fit, California’s Ladies First Fitness & Spa and Jersey Girls, under the Giant Fitness umbrella. Elsewhere in the fitness industry, Nike just announced its 2025 After Dark Tour for women who love to run. The global women’s race series will head to six major cities and includes Nike product and style experiences, coaching guidance, recovery zones and a post-race celebration. Moreover, it provides women a chance to enjoy an evening run without the typical safety concerns associated with running after dark.
