My gym must be joking with its new 'women's only' room

Credit where credit is due, the Total Fitness gym in Whitefield boasts a lot for its members.

There are swimming pools, a Hydropool, saunas, classes, an over-abundance of treadmills, cross-trainers and bicycles stationed across its two-storey building, as well as another huge cardio room and even a cafe and a creche to ditch the kids.

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts 

However, earlier this month, the gym revealed a sparkling new women's section, 'The Women's Gym', which sits cosily within the premises and comes equipped with a relaxation area, sauna, changing rooms, even more cardio machines and a handful of squat racks and strength training equipment.

Now, I'm not opposed to a separate area for women to workout in peace. Some women might want their own safe space away from the overwhelmingly male-dominated zoo that is the main gym, thinking mainly of religious women or women who have survived sexual violence or domestic abuse here.

It's also not unreasonable for women to prefer the company of their fellow gender in general when working out; they might be competing in a women's sport, grappling with 'that time of the month' or just want some camaraderie.

Total Fitness even said the "inclusive environment" was created in recognition of the fact the female body "goes through various stages that often need to be supported differently" and was created with "women in mind".

However, entry into this safe haven comes at a cost - and I'm not the only one who is passionately peeved about it.

A CGI mock-up of the space shows it has lounging areas and a sauna (Image: Total Fitness)

Members pay around £50 per month to enter the gym (which already has a dedicated ladies' room included in the cost) but women are being encouraged to cough up £62.50 to access 'The Women's Gym' at a £12.50 a month 'bolt-on' to their membership or 'just' £10 per entry on a pay-as-you-go basis.

CGI drawings and an interactive map of The Women's Gym show it isn't exactly brimming with anything new compared to the main gym. For instance, it doesn't offer classes or seemingly have any new fancy machinery.

At the same time, it makes the existing ladies' room look somewhat shabby and neglected in comparison, and women are wondering why this room wasn't given some TLC and why bosses instead decided to introduce a costly gender-based barrier to use a newer corner of the gym.

Resources would have been better spent on improving the existing ladies' room and/or opening up this new space to benefit everyone with something new and better - like a weightlifting room, classroom or just some more smith machines or squat racks with all the disks (and a leg press with a working pin!)

Members argue the main area should have been upgraded as gymgoers continue to be shortchanged by broken equipment, a reduction in classes, missing disks and weights and random pool closures - and speculation is brewing that some of the items may have been moved into The Women's Gym.

A man said he has also been campaigning "for years" to make the gym disabled and wheelchair accessible, and the room could have provided an adequate facility in this regard, too.

Total Fitness should have also addressed why women might feel intimidated or unsafe in its arguably male-dominated setting. Instead, it has chosen to profit out of the problem which many disgruntled women have interpreted as a women's tax - a financial penalty "just for being women".

It also has cardio machines, strength training areas and mirrors (Image: Total Fitness)

On social media, many have aired their disappointment over the plans, calling it "bonkers", "terrible" and "sexist".

Some have called for a £12.50 discount for female members to "encourage women to use the gym" and, rather controversially, have gone so far as to suggest the gym should start charging men at a premium price instead.

One woman wrote: “Wow, just wow. What year are we in? Sexist springs to mind.

"Why aren’t male members offered their own secluded area at an extra cost, so women can feel like the gym they already pay for is ok to work out in?"

She added: "I hope there won’t be enough women daft enough to pay the extra."

Another outraged member said: "Charging women extra to undo decades of misogyny? I've got this one wrong, surely."

The move has also hit a nerve with its male members, who now want to know when they can expect a revamped men-only zone.

Total Fitness said it consulted "thousands" of women on the plans, but seemingly forgot to check in with its existing members or the women of Whitefield if they'd be willing to pay extra for the privilege of a safe space.

And what happens if the space does fail to attract its clientele? Will membership fees go up to recuperate the costs of this project that seemingly no member asked for?

It's fair to say The Women's Gym has gone down like a lead balloon and while I clearly will not be paying to use it anytime soon, I could potentially see the appeal for casual users or newbies who want to build up their gym confidence for £10 a go before committing to a full membership.

But asking women, who typically earn less, to fork out even more to feel included and safe in a space that they already pay for? You must be joking.

In response to the criticisms, a spokesperson for Total Fitness said: "The Women’s Gym at Whitefield is a new concept designed to address a particular need.

"Research (both our own and that of fitness industry experts) reveals that there is a significant proportion of women (although by no means all women) that don’t always feel comfortable in a traditional gym environment. 

"This can be for a number of reasons, including a lack of confidence or a desire (even if only sometimes) to work-out in a more private space designed around specific needs and preferences.

"These feelings result in this group either not engaging in a regular fitness routine or working-out less often than they would ideally.

"We set out to create a way to address this particular need, choosing Whitefield as the location for the first test of this concept. This is aligned to our overarching promise to provide the spaces and opportunity for all members to achieve more than they thought possible.

"The Women’s Gym offers a welcoming space for women. It can be used for a full workout if required, or in combination with other facilities.

"As it is a concept that is being tested, the features of the space and way in which members and non-members can access it will evolve as we track usage levels and gather feedback.

"Early indications and usage, including consultations with Whitefield members and local residents, are that this space is tapping into a need the main club wasn’t previously addressing.

"Members have stated that it makes them feel more inspired to work out, that they felt more relaxed and at ease, and that they felt more comfortable trying out new equipment in the space than on the main gym floor.

"Others have discussed how it will encourage them to work out on days when they previously wouldn’t.

"We will continue to track this feedback from members as we assess the effectiveness and impact of the space.

"The Women’s Gym has been created as an additional service for female members and the local community.

"This is not something for which all women feel the need. Nor is it an option that women who choose to use such spaces may want to use all the time.

"Its creation hasn’t and won’t affect any planned investment or divert resources away from the main club, including the existing ladies gym.

"We are fully committed to supporting all member’s needs. For example, for members with disabilities there has been investment in redesigning our ground floor gym facilities, and there is also lift access to main gym area."

Got a story? Send an email to Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk