Healthy Communities • YMCA Events
Why you should celebrate International Women's Day at your Y
22 February 2018 - by Nicole Meredith
I’ll admit it: the connection between a gym and gender equality isn’t immediately obvious. Let me explain with a mini history lesson about the very first gyms known to man (yes, they were only known to men. See where I’m going with this?).
Imagine you’re in Athens, circa 550 BCE. One of your neighbourhood staples is the open-air gymnasium: a space reserved for men to participate in the ancient Olympic sports of running, wrestling, javelin and jumping. Oh, and they only train naked, obvs. After all, they only go to the gymnasium so they can 1) crush their opponents in sports competitions and/or in battle, and 2) get a killer bod. (No, really. This was such a crucial part of the whole idea that the term “gymnasium” actually comes from the Ancient Greek for “naked.”) So, to make the understatement of the year, the classical gymnasium wasn’t a very inclusive, welcoming place.
Now fast forward to 2018. For many women today, the gym still resembles the sixth-century stomping grounds of our ancient forefathers. I've spent a lot of time in a lot of different fitness facilities, so I know what it’s like to feel squeezed out of a conditioning room that’s rife with testosterone. I even tried women-only gyms for a bit, and while it was nice to know I wasn’t going to be stared at or intimidated into skipping my last set by some guy insisting he work in, it felt a little wrong somehow — like I was giving up on the possibility of an inclusive gym. For me personally, the answer isn’t segregating men and women as though we still live in ancient Greece; it’s finding a gym where I feel comfortable doing my thing, surrounded by all sorts of people who also feel right at home.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed, that gym is the Y. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen another gym celebrate diversity like we do. When I take a CycleFit class — which would be totally dominated by ladies at most spin studios — I’m pleasantly surprised to find myself riding with fairly equal numbers of men and women, not to mention people from every generation, at every stage in their fitness journey. And when I take a MuscleFit class, I’m lifting at my own pace alongside women and men who are all working to get stronger together. Not to mention the inspiring individuals at the front of the room: we’ve got some incredible women on our team who empower our members with their expertise and encouragement, as well as men who make it their mission to make sure everyone feels safe and supported throughout their workout.
In fact, this sentiment stands at the very heart of what we do as a charity. When you sweat it out at the Y, you Sweat For Good: you’re showing your commitment to building the kind of diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community we stand behind.
International Women’s Day is just one chance for us to honour these positive values. Join us on Thursday, March 8 for free fitness classes designed to celebrate the talented, hard-working women who make your Y special. Each of our Health & Fitness centres will be open for FREE all day long, so be sure to bring your friends and family along to these female-led sweat sessions you won’t want to miss!
Imagine you’re in Athens, circa 550 BCE. One of your neighbourhood staples is the open-air gymnasium: a space reserved for men to participate in the ancient Olympic sports of running, wrestling, javelin and jumping. Oh, and they only train naked, obvs. After all, they only go to the gymnasium so they can 1) crush their opponents in sports competitions and/or in battle, and 2) get a killer bod. (No, really. This was such a crucial part of the whole idea that the term “gymnasium” actually comes from the Ancient Greek for “naked.”) So, to make the understatement of the year, the classical gymnasium wasn’t a very inclusive, welcoming place.
Now fast forward to 2018. For many women today, the gym still resembles the sixth-century stomping grounds of our ancient forefathers. I've spent a lot of time in a lot of different fitness facilities, so I know what it’s like to feel squeezed out of a conditioning room that’s rife with testosterone. I even tried women-only gyms for a bit, and while it was nice to know I wasn’t going to be stared at or intimidated into skipping my last set by some guy insisting he work in, it felt a little wrong somehow — like I was giving up on the possibility of an inclusive gym. For me personally, the answer isn’t segregating men and women as though we still live in ancient Greece; it’s finding a gym where I feel comfortable doing my thing, surrounded by all sorts of people who also feel right at home.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed, that gym is the Y. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen another gym celebrate diversity like we do. When I take a CycleFit class — which would be totally dominated by ladies at most spin studios — I’m pleasantly surprised to find myself riding with fairly equal numbers of men and women, not to mention people from every generation, at every stage in their fitness journey. And when I take a MuscleFit class, I’m lifting at my own pace alongside women and men who are all working to get stronger together. Not to mention the inspiring individuals at the front of the room: we’ve got some incredible women on our team who empower our members with their expertise and encouragement, as well as men who make it their mission to make sure everyone feels safe and supported throughout their workout.
In fact, this sentiment stands at the very heart of what we do as a charity. When you sweat it out at the Y, you Sweat For Good: you’re showing your commitment to building the kind of diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community we stand behind.
International Women’s Day is just one chance for us to honour these positive values. Join us on Thursday, March 8 for free fitness classes designed to celebrate the talented, hard-working women who make your Y special. Each of our Health & Fitness centres will be open for FREE all day long, so be sure to bring your friends and family along to these female-led sweat sessions you won’t want to miss!
- Brampton YMCA
AquaFit at 6:45 pm with Chloe - Markham YMCA
Arriba/Bootcamp/Yoga mashup at 9:30 am with Jessica, Bruna, Cassandra, Andrea, Beth, Kelly, Iris, Fanny, and Jacquie - Toronto Central YMCA
Arriba at 6:30 pm with Jenn and Karina - Cooper Koo Family YMCA
Barre at 7:00 pm with Caileigh and Sarah - Mississauga YMCA
Arriba at 6:30 pm with Faten - Toronto Sheppard Ave. YMCA
Arriba at 11:30 am with Tammy - Oshawa YMCA
BoxFit at 6:00 pm with Kim - Scarborough YMCA
Arriba at 9:30 am with Amy - Toronto West End YMCA
MuscleFit at 10:15 am with Teresa
