Breaking down barriers in gyms for women

An independent gym owner says setting up female-only spaces is the solution for getting more women to work out.

Rosie Webber opened the women-only Webbers Gym on an industrial estate in North Benfleet, Essex, in October 2022, and she recently signed up her 100th member.

Other larger gym chains are also taking steps to remove barriers for women.

According to a survey of more than 900 women for Sport England in November 2022, 42% said they had experienced at least one form of sexual harassment or intimidation at a fitness centre.

The proportion increased to 83% for women aged 16-24, and 76% said they changed their behaviour, such as what they wore, as a result.

"Being a young strong girl in the gym was a bit frowned upon and a bit unusual when I started going," said Webber, who used to compete in power-lifting, and previously trained young women in her garage at home.

"I think since Covid, everything's changed now for the gym world and girls are definitely a lot more accepted into it."

Holly Banks, 24, who is a personal trainer at the gym, said she and an ex-boyfriend were assaulted in a gym.

"It's something women face but it's not happening to everyone," said Banks.

"People feel a bit nervous around that, if the gym is something new, they're trying, and if they experience something a bit naff, they're never going to come back."

According to another survey of 2,209 people in 2025 by YouGov, 22% of men said they were likely to participate in gym workouts, compared with 18% of women.

Kathryn Anne Salmon, 35, wanted to try weightlifting, but was "scared" to go into a commercial gym and feared she did not know what she was doing.

She says that since joining Webbers Gym, she is "strong" in "mind, body, soul".

Beth England said that "working out with men around can be quite intimidating".

"If we can remove a barrier, it opens up a whole new world for people to feel their best and be confident and happy," said the 31-year-old.

"I think that's the best thing about this; whether it's a women's gym or a women's section, it makes a difference."

Webber says that expensive childcare is also a hurdle for her clients to overcome.

"Ninety per cent of the girls here are mums," said Webber.

"No-one's going to turn their nose up if you bring your crying baby. We just get on with it and turn the music up.

"When we've got kids watching, they understand they can do it too, especially young girls."

The UK's largest gym chain, Pure Gym, has 450 centres nationwide, and it says it has women-only workout spaces at 50 of its locations.

Pure Gym in Harlow opened its women-only space in May.

Manager Callum Derry said this feature played a "key role" for some women when they joined up.

Rebecca Passmore, group chief operating officer at Pure Gym, said her teams recognised that a feeling of "gymtimidation" still existed, particularly for women.

Meanwhile, The Gym Group says it has 10 centres with areas specifically for women's training.

In December 2025, it opened its first women-only section at a gym in Bradford.

It also introduced its female health first (FHF) training programme to give its staff a greater understanding of the female body and how to better support them in training.

Chief people officer Ruth Jackson described FHF as her "passion project" and she said the company had more than 300 accredited members of staff across 140 gyms.

"I wanted to think about what support women need in their training when it comes to different life stages," said Jackson.

"For me personally, that was born out of feeling the difference that training was having or not having as I entered perimenopause."

Sport England's This Girl Can campaign has partnered with UK Active, trying to provide resources, training and guidance for the sector to help knock down barriers for women and girls.

Claire Edwards, This Girl Can's head of campaign activation, said: "Concerns around safety and sexual harassment in gyms are a societal issue and can't be expected to disappear at the door of a facility."

The campaign says it has seen a "huge appetite from the sector to want to do more".

Edwards said she feared women-only gyms or spaces could be considered a "restriction on women's behaviour, rather than an empowerment".

"[But] if women's only gym spaces are done for right reason, because that is what their member base is telling them they want, and a woman's experience within that space is also considered, then I think it can be great."

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