In celebration of the International Women’s Day theme, #EmbraceEquity, I wanted to share with you some of my experiences around being a woman in the health and fitness industry.
As a lot of you know, I’ve been in the industry for a VERY long time. It’s safe to say I’ve seen a lot, especially when it comes to women in the health and fitness industry. I’m talking about the fitness trends, the fashion, the workouts!
I sometimes think back to the days when I was a 14 year old girl, teaching unqualified classes to my school mates and think, wow! From such a young age, I knew that this is what I wanted to do. Boy, did I have my work cut out for me!
The fitness industry then
Being a woman in health and fitness has been an interesting ride. It’s no doubt that things were different back in the day. When I officially got my qualifications at 18 years old, there were women in the industry but many of the management positions and gym owners were male dominated.
We slowly started to see that change, as more incredible women were moving up the ranks within some of the bigger fitness club chains. More women also started to breach out and start their own PT businesses. Me being one of them!
It was also really common that male trainers were getting a higher pay. There was a time when I had to negotiate getting better money if I could bring in the most people! I started bringing in more than 100 people to my classes. I felt like that was my superpower to increase my rate, so you know damn well I was going to get those people through the door!
As a woman in the health and fitness industry in the 80s and 90s, it was really easy to be taken as a laugh. I had to prove to people that I wasn’t just a piggy tale girl wearing aerobics gear! This was a huge driver for me. I needed to prove them all them wrong. I look back now, and I’m really grateful for those experiences because they’ve made me who I am.
Back in the day, women in the health and fitness industry were also really focussed on doing cardio exercises. Women were on the treadmill, the bike, the elliptical. Weight training for ladies wasn’t really common, so that was a challenge I wanted to take on! Women were scared of getting ‘big muscles’. I had to unchain them from the equipment and get them into the weights room. You’d hear me screaming, ‘weights are the fountain of youth’!!
The fitness industry now
Nowadays, many more women see the benefits of lifting weights and the stigma is decreasing. I’m so happy that this is the case. If you have the ability to, you really should be doing some form of strength training so your muscles stay strong and healthy!
We also have pilates and yoga. Even though they have been around for ages, there is now a plethora of ways you can do these exercises, making it easily accessible for all women. You’ve got reformer pilates, mat pilates, hot yoga, at home yoga, group yoga classes. The list is endless!
When I first started 12WBT more than a decade ago, we were the first of our kind. No one was doing it. Now, it’s a sea of online training with different programs and female coaches. With these online programs such as 12WBT and moments in time such as Covid, I’ve noticed more women wanting to take charge of their health and fitness through online programs and at home workouts. Women’s mindsets are changing around health and fitness, for the better.
Things I’ve learnt
Being a woman in the health and fitness industry for over 20 years, I’ve truly learnt a lot. Firstly, you should never allow anyone to underestimate you, especially yourself. Let any of those emotions be your fighting fuel. Secondly, learn your craft, hone your skills and don’t stop learning. Lastly, surround yourself with the best kind of people. They will support your dreams and push you to where you want to be.
Go get ’em ladies! You’ve got this!
Mish xx
Did you know my 12WBT has 15 different programs? Visit the programs page to find the right one for you.
