The Well HQ: changing the perceptions around women and fitness
CIMSPA partners The Well HQ have made it their mission to help fitness professionals appreciate how to work with women to better understand the female mind and body. Their new course, aligned to the CIMSPA Professional Standard for Working with Women and Girls, uses evidence-based learning to give fitness professionals the knowledge bank and skills they need to develop their training programmes to better serve the needs of women and girls.
The Well HQ are a CIMSPA education partner, who are working to create a change in the way we view women’s exercise needs. With most physiological and exercise data used to create education and training products largely being based on the male body, The Well HQ are changing the perception of these topics as ‘specialist’ or ‘niche’, and show that it should be common knowledge.
As a survey by This Girl Can highlights, the barriers to women’s participation are largely centred around ability, with 41% of women started they are worried about being fit enough. Other concerns are focused around appearance and physiology with, for example, 20% concerned about being on their period. Using a science-based approach, the Well HQ are creating community resources and supporting those who work closely with women to bridge the knowledge gaps that exist and to combat these barriers.
Their new course, ‘The Female Body Course’, comprises seven modules, which include everything from menstrual cycles in sport, and fitness kit for female bodies to injury risk and resilience. It targeted at anyone working with women to better understand the female mind and body and tackles difficult subjects such as the myths, taboos and challenges along with the research and social gaps that limit their potential. With 67% of women, in a recent Puregym survey, saying that they find going to the gym an intimidating experience, making experiences more comfortable for them needs to be a priority.
A recent pilot undertaken with The Gym Group, the UKs second largest gym chain, has shown the impact that this intimidation can have. Delivering workshops over 10 weeks to 50 trainers located at 18 gyms from Glasgow to Eastbourne, the aim was to give personal trainers, working on the gym floor, the confidence and knowledge about women’s bodies to support them to exercise comfortably and effectively.
Including training on menstrual cycles, breast and pelvic health, they worked to create a safe environment for male and female trainers to have conversations, remove the stigma and work with their clients with increased safety, confidence and professionalism. By taking this training straight to the professionals on the ground, The Well want to change the way that we view women’s health during exercise, opening the doors to this area, and giving everyone (not just experts) the necessary skills to help women thrive.
CIMSPA have worked closely with The Well HQ over the last year, amongst other leading sector experts, to create the Professional Standard for Working with Women and Girls. Utilising their expertise, they have also hosted a series of member exclusive webinars. As the most highly attended webinars so far this year, it demonstrates the appetite for change, and a need for the tools to make it, within sport and physical activity.
Baz Moffat, CEO of The Well HQ said: “CIMSPA have been bold and determined in the space of female health and it’s a delight to work with them – creating the Working with Women and Girls Professional Standard, running the female health webinar series and helping to shape what the future of female health education looks like is work that we have loved to do as it’s helping to redesign the system and address the gender gaps in sport and exercise.
“Working with CIMSPA has added credibility and reach to our work which we would not have been able to do without them.”
Natasha Eason, Head of Education at CIMSPA commented: “We are excited to continue to develop our work with The Well HQ. The expert knowledge within the organisation has been invaluable when developing the Professional Standard for Women and Girls.
“As an organisation that works with professionals from across the sector, we recognise that in order to make sure that sport and physical activity are accessible for all, we need the tools in place to support our members to deliver based on best-practice guidance. The work that the Well HQ have undertaken so far, with our members and within gym settings, has shown great impact, and we want to make sure that this can be applied across the whole sector.
“We are committed to shaping a sector that is inclusive for women and girls to participate in, and to making sure that those helping them to do so can do it with confidence. I am looking forward to seeing the continued work of The Well HQ and working with them to help improve the experiences of women and girls in sport and physical activity settings.”
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