I was beginning to think that this was a thing of the past.
As you may already know, I have gotten my booty back in the gym. This has been quite the recent venture, so I have only gone three times now. The first time was on a slow, Sunday morning, so it made sense that I was the only woman lifting weights.
However, I recently went after work, which is THE time to be at the gym. I felt like the whole city was there. And yet… I was the only woman in the weight room.
In an age where more and more women and girls are becoming increasingly interested in martial arts, crossfit, and various types of weight lifting, I had developed this notion that there would always at least be two of us in there.
It does feel a bit odd when you’re the only woman. I AM somewhat used it, because the same things happens in martial arts gyms, but that’s a whole other post.
At first I wondered if it was simply demographics. I live in smaller town, so naturally there would simply less women hitting the gym. Then I realized there were some other women lifting weights, but they weren’t in the weight room itself. I thought that was odd given everything you need is one room: weights, space, mirror. So why take the weights elsewhere?
Is it still a discomfort thing?
I know that many women express feeling uncomfortable when stepping into a martial arts gym, which tend to be populated by males. Perhaps it’s the same thing. Even though no one is making the claim that it is not your space, it can feel that way. That’s part of the reason why it does feel odd to be the only one in there.
Is it a self-conscious thing?
If you’re new to lifting weights, you may be nervous that you’re not executing the exercises properly. To counteract this, you could get a few sessions with a personal trainer, who will ensure that you’re doing the exercises properly. If you don’t want to pay for that, you can always watch fitness videos on Youtube. I would say to triangulate your sources to see various people doing the same exercise. This will ensure that you find the proper form.
At this point, I can only assume what their reasoning is and extrapolate reasons from my own experience. If you’re a woman who steers clear of the weight section, please tell me why. I would love to engage in more conversation about this topic, and I hope to see more women in there lifting with me.
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Happy Holidays, Lovelies!
-Marisol
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