“I had to come to terms with my body”, report reveals only one in 10 lower income women feel they 'belong' in physical activity
The report by This Girl Can found 51% of women on lower-incomes feel they don’t belong in gyms
Last updated 26th Feb 2025
A new report by This Girl Can has revealed that only one in 10 women from lower-income backgrounds feel they completely belong in the world of physical activity.
The research released today finds that for women on lower incomes from underrepresented groups – including Black women, Asian Muslim women, pregnant women, new mothers, and older women – the challenges and feelings of exclusion are even greater.
As a result This Girl Can launched a new campaign - ‘Belonging Starts With Inclusion’ - today in Birmingham with a large floor mural featuring full-length portraits of three women fronting the campaign, including 23 year-old Tamiah from Birmingham.
Tamiah's depicted on the 20-metre painting alongside her son who she gave birth to last year via C-Section.
She says she found it hard to find a sport she liked after her pregnancy:
"It was one of the worst experiences. I needed to come to terms with the fact that my body had completely changed.
"No one in this room knows that my body has completely changed."
She tells us what she'd like to see change:
"I'd like to see more women only gyms, and people being trained in supporting women that are younger, older, or had a C-section."
What does the research show?
Almost two in five women (38%) on lower incomes have felt excluded from physical activity, with one in six (17%) feeling so unwelcome that they have never returned to that type of activity exercise or lost confidence to try something new. One in 10 (10%) have cried about the experience.
Over half of women (51%) on lower incomes feel they don’t belong in gyms, but the issue is prevalent in other places that women get active in too, with spaces like parks leaving one in six (17%) feeling out of place. Safety is another big concern, with almost one in five (18%) reporting that they have felt unsafe or been stared at while trying to get active, and one in five (19%) have experienced inappropriate comments or assumptions.
Getting started is only part of the battle – for some, sticking with it is even harder. Only one in seven women (15%) on lower incomes gets active for the recommended 150+ minutes per week for six months or more. Among underrepresented groups, the figure is even lower, with fewer than one in eight (12%) managing to take part in physical activity regularly.
What are the barriers to getting active?
Nearly half of these women (49%) cite cost and affordability as the biggest barrier, while an equal percentage struggle with motivation. Energy levels and fatigue are also significant obstacles, affecting 43% of women. Confidence plays a major role too, with 38% feeling unsure about their ability level, while 36% say their bodies no longer moved like they used to.
What are the suggested solutions?
Women on lower incomes have made it clear what would help them feel more welcome in fitness spaces. One in four say the presence of women-only sessions (26%) and staff who understand their needs (25%) would help in making physical activity more welcoming, while almost one in three (32%) would like the option of more gentle, low-impact classes.
The research also delves deeper into the specific needs of different groups of women on lower incomes. Almost half (46%) of Asian Muslim women would feel more comfortable getting active in women-only spaces, while some Black women have highlighted the importance of classes featuring music from their culture (24%). Older women, meanwhile, are particularly interested in gentle, low-impact classes (36%) which allow them to move at their own pace.
Kate Dale, Director of Marketing at Sport England and This Girl Can, said:
“Our new findings are shocking but not surprising. So many women feel they’re not made to get active, or that they don’t belong – which means the gender activity gap persists. There is an urgent need for more inclusive and welcoming spaces and settings that encourage all women to get moving.
“To make sport and physical activity truly inclusive, we need to listen to the women who feel left behind and act on what they’re telling us. Different women have different needs and the solutions must reflect that. The barriers these women face are wide-ranging, complex, and often beyond their control.
"It is up to everyone who has a role in getting women active, from policymakers to employers to people that run fitness spaces to create environments that work for all women – because belonging starts with inclusion.”