This Girl Can launches new group exercise classes

By Sport England | 06 December 2021 | TAGS: Adults, Women and girls, This Girl Can, Inequalities, National Governing Bodies

This Girl Can is launching a new range of group exercise classes powered by the award-winning campaign.

Our national campaign, which encourages women to be active in any way that works for them, has teamed up with EMD UK – the national governing body for group exercise – to offer lower intensity, fun and supportive sessions for women who may otherwise not feel comfortable attending group exercise classes.

More than 1,500 people have registered their interest to train as class instructors and, with 21 major leisure operators already signed up – including Places Leisure and Mytime Active – there will be more This Girl Can classes available across the country in 2022.

The classes, that call on women to “Come and do your worst”, were also designed to be able to be used as part of social prescribing schemes in the future.

Group exercise classes are highly popular with women. They make up 84% of attendees in a leisure environment and fitness is the second most popular activity after walking for women to take part in.

However, research by EMD UK reveals that less active women often express fears of being judged in gym classes, of looking “stupid”, of not being able to keep up, fear of what others will think and being out of their depth in a group exercise setting.

Furthermore, a This Girl Can survey of more than 1,000 women earlier this year found that more than a third (38%) of women worry about not being fit enough, 28% worry about showing their body and almost a quarter (24%) worry that they aren’t good enough.

Find out more about the classes here