Durham College and Ontario Tech University are working to make campus fitness spaces more inclusive with the relaunch of FEMFLEX, a studio dedicated to women-identifying and gender-diverse students.
Located inside the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC), the space offers a safe, inclusive environment free from the pressures and dynamics some people experience in mixed-gender gyms.
“It’s pretty relaxed and no one really gives you a problem because everyone’s here just to work out,” said Monique McDonald, a Human Resources student at Durham College. “It’s nice to just be around women sometimes. You’re not uncomfortable, you’re not questioning yourself.”
The space, formerly known as WomXen’s Fitness, was rebranded over the summer to be more inclusive, while expanding its mission to welcome trans students and visible minorities.
“We changed the position of the doors, added coverings, and adjusted equipment so people could feel comfortable,” said Krisha Bharucha, a shift lead and Kinesiology student at Ontario Tech. “We wanted to make sure everything would abide by religious needs and be inclusive for everyone.”
FEMFLEX operates during specific hours under a booking system, with a limit of 10 people at a time. It gives students a place to focus on their physical well-being without navigating unwanted attention.
“It’s nothing but a positive environment,” Bharucha said. “Working in a gym, you can kind of feel the testosterone in the environment. But working in FEMFLEX, it’s nothing but positive. Everyone’s super sweet—they just mind their own business and leave.”
For many women, walking into a gym can feel like stepping under a spotlight.
A recent study by the SHE Research Centre and the University of the West of England found that women often feel judged on their appearance and performance in fitness spaces, frequently reporting experiences of being stared at, receiving unsolicited comments, and having to “fight for space” to be taken seriously.
McDonald said the difference is noticeable in co-ed gyms.
“Mostly just the noise,” she said. “There tends to be a lot of grunting and whooping, and sometimes I just want to work out in a calm environment.”
This discomfort is widespread, according to another study by RunRepeat, a running shoe and exercise company.
More than 56 per cent of women say they’ve experienced harassment while working out, ranging from unwanted attention to verbal remarks, much of which goes unreported.
For some students, the challenges run deeper. Women who wear modest clothing for religious or cultural reasons, or simply prefer not to exercise in front of men, often find their choices at odds with mainstream gym culture, according to a study published in the journal BMC Women’s Health.
“I love being surrounded by other people who are doing the same thing as me but aren’t judgmental,” said Sienna Jakovljevic, a criminology student at Ontario Tech.