How the Power Dynamics of the Gym Relate to the Real World

Although the Functional Fitness room at Ping is just one place, the rules it has and the underlying meanings those rules portray can be seen across many different locations. For example, the gender imbalance that we see in this space is loaded with significance. Without knowing it, men have the upper hand of this space; they have the privilege to feel “right” in this and like they fit in. Across the country, as well as on our campus, women are reluctant to go to the gym out of fear of being either chastised or harassed. In an article from The Guardian, it was reported that 984 sent in testimonies about experiences of sexism and harassment at the gym (2016). These experiences range from being watched while running on the treadmill, to being shown out of the weight room.

From the feminist perspective, the weight room would be a microcosm of the patriarchal society. In a patriarchal society, men have power over women, and they also can have power over each other (Napikoski, 2019). This can be seen in our setting as well; the rule of “keeping to your space” is held between patron by positions of authority. Those that hold more power in society feel they have the right to occupy more space. This dominance can be derived from the sex or size of the patron.

Many people across the world are looking to find solutions to this; to create an equitable space for everyone to enjoy fitness. Chaarg, a fitness organization aimed towards college women, looks to empower women through creating a fun and supportive environment and fostering a love of fitness (Chaarg, 2017). This isn’t the only club of its type, either. On another campus, Ithaca College created an organization, Queen Strength (Lussier, 2018). Essentially, Queen Strength has the same goals as Chaarg. It works on women empowerment in a gym setting and also creates a sisterhood for those who participate. These founders of these groups created spatial justice; they took a setting that was unwelcome and made it nonpartisan. So, the next time you’re in a gym, look for these power dynamics and try to rewrite the story for others.

References

Bates, L. (2016, May 23). Women-only gyms are a world away from boys’ clubs such as Muirfield. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/23/women-only-gyms-muirfield-men-male-privilege

Buzzfeed. [As/Is]. (2013, October 1). What it’s like to be a woman at the gym [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_Nr4wE2ZE0

Chaarg. (2017). About [Webpage]. Retrieved from https://chaarg.com/about/

Lussier, E. (2018, March 31). Club focuses on women empowerment through health and fitness. The Ithican. Retrieved from https://theithacan.org/life-culture/club-focuses-on-women-empowerment-through-health-and-fitness/

Napikoski, L. (2019, January 21). Patricarchal society according to feminism [Webpage]. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/patriarchal-society-feminism-definition-3528978