The Gym Group partnered with Baz Moffat and The Well HQ in 2023 to launch the Female Health First programme to equip teams with specialist knowledge on female fitness and translate this to the gym floor to make the gyms welcoming spaces for women.

To date 170 members of staff have completed the course, which includes female functional fitness classes, pelvic floor health workshops, female-focused weight training and small group training sessions.

“Being able to provide these kinds of sessions for our teams helps them open up conversations around female training, supporting our members to better understand how they can work comfortably and effectively and to see exercise as an enjoyable, important part of their routine,” says Laura Travis, female health first lead at The Gym Group.

Ruth Jackson, chief people officer at The Gym Group says the knowledge and benefits are being shared around the company: “We’re seeing the fantastic benefits of empowering our gym teams with specialist knowledge on female fitness, and how that helps us to ensure our gym environments are even more welcoming and inspiring for all, including bespoke group exercises classes and one to one support to help women at every life stage.”

In the last two years, The Gym Group reports that it has trebled the number of training sessions available on a female-only basis under its Weights for Women programme.

• Baz Moffat was a speaker at the HCM Summit 2024 – watch her presentation here