It’s the gym Jim, but not as we know it

Picture someone in a gym. Picture someone lifting weights in a gym. Male right?

These bias games – think of a nurse, picture a police officer, imagine a surgeon – might be a bit awkward, but many gender associations are tightly locked in.

Helpful – no, but facts is facts and gyms are traditionally male spaces more than they are female ones. How do we change that?

Well here’s an idea …

“The Female Health First programme has been a fantastic opportunity for The Gym Group to progress with our vision to become the industry’s number one provider of female training.”

~ Emma Flood, Performance & Development Manager @ The Gym Group

Quick recap: in 2023 The Gym Group launched Female Health First with The Well HQ. The initiative aimed to educate staff – from PTs to operations managers – on the female body, and on making venues more fitting and welcoming for women.

What began as a 50-person pilot is today part of the furniture. Four groups went through Female Health First training in 2024, and the first of 2025 is starting up now.

In all, 166 of The Gym Group’s team, hailing from all over the UK, have been through the 10-week programme, earning full Female Health First accreditation.

It’s all part of The Gym Group’s mission to lead the industry in female health. And as success metrics for employees, clients and company move sharply into focus, Female Health First is already showing its place and its value in that goal.

“I’ve learned a lot. The hands-on live webinar sessions seemed to really make a difference and have given me more confidence to support my clients, and female members in our gym.”

~ Rob McFarlane, Fitness Manager @ The Gym Group Glasgow Quay

There is today a 90% retention rate among fitness instructors who’ve been through Female Health First training, while 16 FHF-trained team members have since been promoted and four former fitness instructors have gained sufficient business to transition into full-time personal trainers. Not bad for 18 months.

A major objective for The Well HQ here is to address the fact that trainers are given precious little (if any) training on the female body, hence when most PTs qualify they lack knowledge and awareness on what it is to train like a woman.

The CPD-style learning of Female Health First embeds exactly that knowledge and, as a result, fitness trainers at The Gym Group can now have those meaningful conversations as they bake higher standards into training plans and practices.

What’s it worth to PTs? Anecdotally we hear business has never been better.

“The Gym Group is to be congratulated for this initiative. Female-focussed classes have welcomed women of all ages and abilities and inspired us to go beyond what we thought we were capable of.
Poole Gym Group women rock!”

~ Glynis, customer @ The Gym Group Poole

The Gym Group might further describe healthy rates of customer retention and high demand at female-first classes. This all points at progress for sure, but then the benefits of FHF extend beyond the walls of the gym too …

Teams from The Gym Group now routinely partner with local clubs and businesses to take female health on the road. In practice this means female health workshops – such as Functional Female Fitness classes and Pelvic Health masterclasses – coming to meet people where they are.

Community relationships, spreading better messages, inclusivity and access … it’s unlikely these were part of the original vision for FHF but The Gym Group is now going to great lengths to push progress. To push the possibilities and perhaps the responsibilities that come with being the high street leader in female health.

“Laura is an outstanding PT. Her thirst for knowledge and understanding of the perimenopause and female health has helped me immensely. I feel stronger, motivated and, most importantly, more confident during a phase of my life that I struggle to understand at times.”

~ PT client @ The Gym Group Poole

We’re stoked that early metrics show FHF as a viable model. A value-driving proposition. We want to help create change in the world, and that’s a whole lot easier if / when the commercials stack up. Oh and FYI they always do.

Every time we onboard a new cohort into training there’s excitement here at TWHQ. Sure, we’re hopeful for the future careers of trainers and the parent business, but the biggest source of optimism is the fact that trends are even moving in this direction.

If we sound a little misty-eyed it’s ‘cos we are. Female health was nowhere near the top of gyms’ priority list even a handful of years ago. The Gym Group has pioneered something special, viable and transformational and already others are following suit.

As well as The Gym Group, The Well HQ now work with David Lloyd and Everyone Active to raise the bar and change the scope of what trainers and gyms can do and be for women. This is progress. This is the new standard. This is incredible.

So if you’re a gym, or called Jim, or want to jimmy things along, give us a shout.

It’s the gym Jim, but not as we know it …