The Importance of Female-Focused Fitness
Women have a lot on their plates. From work to home, family, and not-to-be-neglected self care, life can be a lot to juggle. Fortunately, women’s fitness is both a productive form of self care and a way to relieve stress! These benefits and more await you at a women’s gym.
THE BENEFITS OF A WOMEN’S GYM
SAFETY AND SECURITY
One of the biggest draws of a women-only gym is a comfortable environment. Sadly, this is something that’s missing from many co-ed gyms. Women are regularly discouraged from working out due to harassment from men at the gym. Unwanted come-ons, negative comments, condescending behavior, or uncomfortable looks can leech away women’s desire to exercise.
A women-only space removes the uneasiness, annoyance, and self-consciousness that can otherwise accompany gym sessions. It creates a comfortable environment that prioritizes safety and security, and encourages women to freely be themselves. Here at One New Humanity, we run our own women’s gym called Sisterhood Fitness. “I feel comfortable here,” one of our members testified. “Exercising together with people makes me feel powerful and happy.”
BOOSTING HEALTH
It’s no secret that physical activity is key to our health! Exercise is a fantastic mood booster that supports mental health by fighting depression, relieving stress and anxiety, and even helping with the effects of trauma and PTSD. It’s also essential for physical health, and can help to:
lower your blood pressure
boost your levels of good cholesterol
improve blood flow (circulation)
keep your weight under control
prevent bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis
Exercise can also reduce your risk of chronic disease and promote longevity.
FINDING AND BUILDING MOTIVATION
In the world of women’s fitness, motivation is especially important. A study of gender differences in exercise habits and quality of life found that “reasons for exercise predicted quality of life” even more than exercise itself. The researchers noted that “exercising to improve mood or health was associated with higher quality of life” as opposed to exercising for weight loss. This highlights the problems of exercising for appearance, and demonstrates the importance of approaching fitness with positive, uplifting, and wholesome goals.
When women exercise together, they can help each other keep beneficial goals in mind, rather than promoting harmful ideas of women’s fitness. Additionally, women can help each other build motivation and stay on track with their physical activity and goals! Emotional support is a key part of maintaining motivation.
CREATING COMMUNITY
Women’s gyms are also great places for fostering social networks and friendships! Friendships are crucial for our health, and their benefits extend far beyond the gym itself. A member of Sisterhood Fitness told us, “I met new friends. We’re like family. We all get along.” That sense of community is even more important for immigrant and refugee communities like ones here in Hamtramck and Detroit. Feeling like we belong is a precious sentiment, and we should seize that feeling wherever we can.
DEVELOPING PERSONAL AND SOCIETAL GROWTH
At Sisterhood Fitness and other women’s gyms, growth is encouraged on personal and societal levels. As people interact and form intercultural friendships, their own horizons are broadened, their worlds made richer and fuller. And as women support each other in these spaces and elsewhere, society as a whole benefits from it. We are stronger together—in the gym, and far beyond.
Here at One New Humanity, we serve immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities in the Banglatown area of Detroit and Hamtramck. Our women-only gym, Sisterhood Fitness, is the only local fitness and community center exclusively for women in Hamtramck. We cater to the unique needs of immigrant women living in Hamtramck, but all are welcome.
Members buy a punch card that subsidizes the cost of our operations, and each class attended is one punch. We are open five days a week and offer a variety of exercise classes and one-on-one instruction.
“There is no other women’s gym for women from Yemen who mostly speak Arabic and need privacy,” one of our members said. “You’ve helped me and the women here so much! I’m so grateful.” We’re grateful too, and extraordinarily proud to serve phenomenal women in our community.
Sisterhood Fitness and our other community initiatives like Sylhet Farm and the upcoming C. Love Bakery make an incredible impact on the lives of Hamtramck residents. You can be part of that by donating now to support our work! If you’re in the Detroit area, consider dropping off in-kind donations, organizing a collection drive, or shopping at our nonprofit thrift store, Joy Thrift in Hamtramck! Together we can elevate our beautiful community, and bring joy and support to those who need it most.