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On International Women's Day, we announced a number of great courses and workshops to help provide safe spaces for women to take their first steps into the fitness industry, as well as workshops for everyone to learn helpful new skills.  

Recently, we ran a survey asking women about the barriers that they face within the fitness industry. The results revealed that:  

• 73% felt that women might face more barriers to career progression than men in the fitness industry.  
• More than 67% felt that unhelpful gender stereotyping negatively impacted women in fitness.  
• 46% felt there was negative unconscious bias from management that impacted women's careers in fitness.  
• 84% wanted fitness professionals to have a deeper understanding of female anatomy and physiology and changes through life.  
• 65% thought that lack of self-belief or confidence negatively impacted career progression for women in the fitness industry.  

 As a charity, we want to help make the fitness industry more inclusive and break down barriers to exercise and into the fitness industry.  

 “We have been hearing from a number of women that they wouldn’t feel comfortable in a male-dominated PT course or even a mixed environment, so we have created a space to empower these women and help them thrive in their careers."   

- Erica Smith, Head of YMCAfit