How Women are Impacted by Social Media and Uncomfortable Encounters in the Gym

Abstract

Background: Our modern society stresses the importance of physical appearance in every aspect of our lives, always setting the boundaries for what is and is not socially acceptable. It seems a disproportionate amount of importance is placed on women's bodies and how they are supposed to conform to what is deemed beautiful by humanity around them. Objective: This study aims to research the separation between the amount of male and female attendance in fitness centers, mainly within strength, and what is causing such a divide in a place that is supposed to essentially improve our life quality. Design and Method: The research method is based on peer-reviewed literature consisting of scholarly articles, journals, dissertations, conversations, and online articles. The research performed is qualitative in nature and includes literature from 2000-2020. Strength training in gyms and societal beauty standards were studied to evaluate their similarities and differences and are reported in the results section. The main research questions are: What is causing women to not participate in strength training? What causes women to feel uncomfortable in male dominated spaces? What beauty standards are set in place as a result of social media? Results: The significance of this study is that due to the dominance of male presence in fitness centers, it is difficult for women to feel welcome. Being in an environment that you feel you don't belong in, on top of one that is dominated by one gender can be very intimidating, considering that women are placed under such a microscope that determines how they should look and act from the moment they are born. Feeling out of place in facilities designed to work on yourself mentally and physically can be exhausting. Conclusions: We all deserve to feel safe and comfortable at the gym, regardless of why we go or how often we go, but this is simply not the case for most women. This phenomenon stretches beyond being more than just a case of gym phobia, where you feel self-conscious or embarrassed about your workouts for fear of being judged. Gym intimidation, while unpleasant, is an internal battle that can affect people of any gender. Unfortunately, it is far too familiar for women to feel unsafe in the gym due to direct male actions and asserted dominance, which needs to change.

Keywords: Women, Fitness Centers, Strength Training, Power