The Fitness Gap

How women are navigating an industry not built for them

By Ellie Wardale

Gyms are busier than ever but they are by no means equal. 

Women remain less likely to use the weights area, more likely to feel intimidated and are more likely to drop out of fitness altogether. 

Fitness culture is shaped around male bodies, male routines and male expectations. Leaving women to navigate an industry that does not fully support them. 

This is the fitness gap. 

However, this is starting to change. 

The Problem

Approximately only 24% of women in the UK meet the recommended guidelines for muscle-strength in activities and according to some reports only 16% 

Whilst weight training has been shown to be essential for women’s health, especially due to the injury risks around the hormonal cycle and menopause, 60% of the weights area is still dominated by men 

More and more women are feeling empowered in the weights room, however the atmosphere alone is enough to deter some people. 

For many women they have a fear of being watched or judged or some feel they have a lack of guidance. Many women also experience unsolicited advice, lingering stares and harassment. 

Research suggests around 56% of women say they have experienced harassment whilst working out in the gym, with some estimates rising as high as 7 in 10.

From unwanted comments, to intrusive stares and intimidation, these experiences are shaping how safe and welcome women feel in fitness spaces. 

"There have definitely times where I have just wanted to give up”
"It just feels like you're the only woman there"

Solar panel with natural roof and stone wall

Solar panel with natural roof and stone wall

Reclaiming the gym floor

Initiatives are emerging that aim to challenge this imbalance and make fitness spaces more accessible to women. From community-led sessions to female-only environments, these efforts are designed to educate, rebuild confidence and create a sense of belonging for women in places that are tailored to them. 

At the UK’s largest female-only gym, a recent event set out to do exactly that…

For those that attended, the triathlon not only provided fitness advice tailored to women, but gave them a space to feel supported. 

Whilst these initiatives offer empowerment and safety from judgement and harassment, they also raise the question of why they are needed in the first place? 

As the fitness industry grows, the challenge should no longer be about just creating separate spaces for women, but transforming the culture of the spaces that already exist. 

Long before the ‘fitness gap’ entered more mainstream conversation, women were already pushing against the boundaries of this male-dominated industry. For decades, participation in sport was limited by harmful misconceptions, with fears such as exercise would damage the uterus and social pressures discouraged women from building strength in favour of maintaining narrow ideals of femininity. 

Despite these barriers, a number of pioneering figures began to challenge these norms and started redefining what female fitness and strength could be and also look like. Women such as Katie Sandwina, Abbye Stockton and Bobbi Gibb, laid down the foundations for a more inclusive future in the industry. 

Built For Men

70-80% of participants in exercise research have historically been male, ignoring half of the population. But so many women are still left feeling unworthy when ‘science-based’ fitness programmes do not work for them. 

The menstrual cycle makes energy levels, strength and recovery all inconsistent throughout the entirety of each month. So why should fitness programmes expect women to be consistent in their training too?

How the female hormones affect the body & energy levels

  • Primary female sex hormone for reproductive health, sexual development & the menstrual cycle. It promotes female characteristics, strengthens bones, protects the heart health and maintains skin elasticity

    • Steroid hormone primarily responsible for regulating the menstrual cycle and providing a calming effect on the brain. It maintains the uterine health and helps with sleep and reducing anxiety.

  • Injury risks increasing around the menstrual cycle: 
  • Ovulation phase (middle of the cycle): peak estrogen levels increase ligament laxity (looseness) particularly in the knee (ACL) and hip which can reduce joint stability and increase the risk of sprains and ligament tears 
  • Late Luteal phase (just before period): progesterone and estrogen drop, inflammation increases and this can delay recovery. The poorer sleep quality experienced in this phase can also affect neuromuscular control and coordination 
  • Menstrual phase (bleeding days): Research from Frontiers found that injuries occurring during these days may be more severe and lead to longer recovery times. Could be due to iron loss and reduced muscular repair capabilities

    • "The fitness industry genuinely isn't built for women, and that's what I wanted to change."

    Female-led innovations such as the app Bobbi, created by Saffron Howdle, aim to rethink how training programmes are designed by placing women’s bodies at the centre. 

    By working with the body rather than against it, approaches such as this help close the ‘fitness gap’ that has been built for solely men in mind. 

    Saffron Howdle founder of Bobbi

    "The workout plan I was using was written for a man with a 24 hour hormonal system, not a woman with a 28 day hormonal system and that was the issue that needed to change"

    Why it is so important

    The ‘fitness gap’ reflects the much wider inequality in how women’s health is understood and treated. Across medicine and science, the male body has been the default body for research that have more stable hormonal cycles and are just simply, easier to study. As a result, much of what is considered ‘standard’ knowledge about training, recovery and even illnesses are based on male physiology. 

    The consequences of this are alarming, with women on average being diagnosed 2-3 years later than men for a range of conditions. Women’s symptoms tend to be more misunderstood, overlooked or even dismissed. In fitness, this often is exposed in training programmes failing to account for any hormonal changes. 

    The rise of more female-focused fitness innovations such as Bobbi, starts to correct these long-standing imbalances in how women’s health is researched, understood but also supported.

    Strength training is physiologically essential for women, but due to the ‘fitness gap’ girls grow up viewing it as an optional, male-dominated activity. 

    As women age, particularly during and after menopause, a sharp decline in oestrogen can lead to sarcopenia. This is when the loss of muscle mass accelerates, deteriorating at around 5% per year after the age of 50. 

    Many women also experience myalgia, which is extreme muscle stiffness as hormonal changes affect the tissue elasticity. This weakens the pelvic floor and can further impact overall stability and strength. 

    Despite these risks, many women are still hesitant to enter the weights room due to this disconnection between their bodies’ needs and the environments that are meant to be designed to support them. 

    Women are still adapting to this industry that does not account for them. However, a growing number of female-led initiatives are beginning to not just challenge the imbalance, but fix it. 


    INFORMATION/RESEARCH LINKS

    Herstasis® Health Foundation. (2026). Muscle Health During Menopause - Antioxidants & Muscle Health - Herstasis® Health Foundation. [online] Available at: https://www.herstasis.com/menopause-muscle-health/

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