A purpose-designed women-only gym in Whitefield has reached full capacity following sustained demand, with membership levels deliberately capped to protect the quality of experience and deliver fully against women’s needs.
Total Fitness’ The Women’s Gym in Whitefield has seen membership grow steadily since opening, with membership now at full capacity. Membership growth has been managed intentionally, with Total Fitness choosing to cap numbers to protect the quality of experience and deliver fully against women’s needs – the first in the industry to do so. This is driven by women seeking environments that prioritise confidence, comfort and a sense of community alongside physical results.
The gym was created in response to feedback from women who felt traditional mixed gym spaces did not always meet their needs, whether due to confidence, comfort, or access to equipment and classes that reflect how some women prefer to work out.
Research carried out by Total Fitness across its women-only gyms in Whitefield and Wilmslow highlights the depth of this demand. More than a third (35%) of women said they had previously left a gym because they wanted a more private or single-sex environment, while almost half were not members of any gym before joining a women-only space.
Unlike conventional gyms, the Whitefield women-only space has been designed entirely around the female workout experience, from the layout and equipment mix to programming and community feel. Further to this, the concept was designed to prioritise comfort and space, with membership levels carefully set to support the intended experience.
Now operating at optimum capacity, Total Fitness is protecting the quality of experience that has driven strong engagement and consistency among members. Women can register their interest and join a waiting list to know when memberships are available again.
Sophie Lawler, CEO of Total Fitness, said: “When you design a space like a gym it’s not just about what’s inside it, it’s about how it feels and whether that delivers for the needs of your customer. Women told us loud and clear that feelings of comfort, as well as their ability to complete a full workout, were important and so we decided that we would never over-sell memberships and compromise on the experience purely for commercial gain. That our first womens gym has reached capacity is a fantastic problem to have – what we need to solve for now is how to extend it or build another.”
The Whitefield site is one of two women-only gyms launched by Total Fitness, following the opening of a second location in Wilmslow. Both were developed using direct insight from women who had either lapsed from gyms altogether or felt underserved by traditional gym environments.
Find out more about The Women’s Gym on the Total Fitness website.
