Physical movement has been a powerful tool for healing across different cultures, spiritual gatherings and religions. Movement has given access to folks to reconnect with their mind and body.
I had the opportunity to work in a large corporate gym in my 20s then shortly after, led to opening my own brick and mortar gym. While traveling, I also got to visit local gyms in various parts of Asia. While I enjoyed experiencing new gyms locally or abroad, I always found myself feeling uncomfortable. I usually found myself being the only female in gym spaces, which resulted in many glaring my way. I never found a place where I belonged or felt seen. Folks didn’t look like me nor did they move through life like me. Let’s face it, gyms were designed for male-identifying humans. I wondered why only certain people were in gym spaces considering how beneficial it is for folks to work on their health. As I continued to unpack, here’s what I learned.
Unfortunately, historically, in North America, movement spaces have been only accessible for the wealthy, straight, skinny, and generally white cisgender folks. Historically, in Asia, it’s only been a space for straight men. I am one of many who aim to reclaim movement spaces for underrepresented and marginalized folks. Whether you are a business owner or leader, you have an opportunity and a responsibility to create an inclusive environment. Here are my top 5 suggestions:
Language. Fitness spaces have historically used gendered language like “women’s section,” “women’s barbell,” “girl push up,” or “men’s barbell,” etc… This language can oppress women and non-gendered folks from entering gym spaces.
Culture. Vision, values and beliefs are practiced inside an organization, and a direct impact of that is how clients/members interact with the business. It’s essential for leaders to role model behaviour in workplaces. It is also critical to create a culture that focuses on the continued education of different races, abilities, neurological diversities etc.… The cultural literacy of your clients is key. The first step is to be aware of what’s going on in your space.
Representation. Does your marketing include images of different races, weights, body types and skills? For example, fitness photos tend to lean towards able-bodied, lean women or muscular men. This false representation can create barriers for folks to participate in the exercise.
Accessibility. There are a variety of folks who have walked different lives and will have different barriers in their day-to-day life. Some starter questions to consider: Is your space wheelchair accessible with accessible restrooms? Do your restrooms provide gender-neutral signage? Is it scent and fragrance-free to accommodate folks who are sensitive to smell or chemicals? Does it have easy-to-read signs with colours that can also support vision-impaired folks? Do you offer sliding scales, subsidized services, or reduced rates for marginalized folks to participate? Finally, I like to ask myself, who am I standing up for? For me, it’s underrepresented folks in whichever community I am serving. As someone who had limited access to resources growing up, it is important for me to pay it forward as I continue to acquire more privileges. This has allowed me to prioritize what I want to work on first as it hits home for me.
Adaptive Group Classes. If you offer group fitness classes, ensure you have modifications available to meet folks where they are physically or mentally. A starter question to consider: If you offer online classes, do you have live captions and verbal and visual cues?
Creating a culture of inclusion in the fitness industry is the right thing to do—from a business and a moral perspective—says IHRSA’s senior manager of health promotion & health policy, Alex Black Larcom, MPH, RD, LDN.
I’ve had the opportunity to implement all 5 of these suggestions and have seen a shift in my culture with my business locally and abroad. Clients and members from across the globe have expressed feeling seen and included in the spaces we have designed into our work. Remember, you don’t need to perfect this and tackle this all in one day. It’s an ongoing process. Start by tackling one thing and then the next.
Not only are you opening up your market to increase revenue, but you are also setting up our world with folks who are more equipped to take care of their own health. In addition, you are sending a message to the world that there is a place for everyone. It’s a win-win!
do you have a suggestion on how we can create a more inclusive gym space? drop it in the comments below. i’d love to learn from you!
Sources: https://www.ihrsa.org/improve-your-club/why-making-your-gym-more-inclusive-is-good-for-business/