After working out at a Gainesville gym, Valerie Mederos returned to her car, ready to drive home, when a man surprised her by knocking on her window. She didn’t know it yet, but he had followed her outside. That’s when he said he saw her working out and would like to go on a date.
“This is my bubble, this is my space,” she said. “I felt so uncomfortable.”
The 22-year-old declined and went about her day, shaken up but not surprised, she said. This wasn’t the first or last time an interaction like this would happen to her, which is why she made the switch to a women-only gym.
Now, she is the general manager and fitness instructor at Peach by Pump, a new women-only private gym with locations in Naples and Gainesville.
In a survey completed by RunRepeat, out of 3,774 gym members (1,107 of them women), over half of the women polled reported experiencing harassment at the gym. In contrast, one in five male respondents said the same. The data also showed 12.83% of women had witnessed harassment happening to others, and 14.54% had heard about it secondhand.
The risk of unwanted advances, lingering stares and invasive comments often lead some to seek out gym alternatives where they can workout in peace. Gym harassment is a large retention issue for the fitness industry, with nearly 20% of men and women who experienced harassment opting to cancel their memberships according to RunRepeat.
In response, some gyms are opening women-only spaces, aiming to create a safer, more comfortable environment for female members. Gainesville Health and Fitness Women’s Center, for example, features cardio and strength equipment, group classes and a more private atmosphere, allowing women to exercise without the added stress of unwanted attention.
Cheyenne Heffernan, a 27-year-old fitness counselor at the GVHF Women’s Center prefers the space over the main co-ed gym because of its intimate, supportive environment.
“I think that we as women just feel more safe in a women-only environment,” she said. “We know that we’re not going to have to deal with harassment and guys being weird.
These facilities also highlight the significance of equipment tailored to female bodies, like smaller barbells and shorter,less bulky machines. The GVHF Women’s Center has a steam room, a sauna, a hot tub, vanities and staff to explain and set up each machine.
The facility also offers a daycare center next door, giving mothers the convenience of childcare while they focus on their workouts.
Rebecca Yates, a 22-year-old physical therapy student at the University of Florida, works at Women’s Lift Lab in Gainesville, another private women-only facility. She believes exclusive gyms are essential for reducing so-called “gymtimidation,” the fear or anxiety of working out in public.
“I feel like in women-only gyms, that judgement piece kind of goes away,” she said.
Yates believes these spaces make women feel more comfortable and encourage them to be physically active.
“You don’t have to understand it,” she said. “Just accept that it’s something that some women need and want.”
As the fitness industry continues to evolve, women-only gyms may not solve the broader issues of harassment, but do give some women the freedom to focus on getting stronger without the added weight of unwanted attention.