The head of a new fitness company has challenged the “stereotypes and myths” that surround women’s fitness and argued that traditionally unfeminine exercise like lifting weights and vigorous exercise is better and more empowering for women.
Kelly Bedford, who started her career as a trainer at Morgan Stanley, runs Fitness Fox, a personal training business for women that operates in the borough.
She told the Hackney Post that perceptions about ideal female bodies was evolving.
Dynamic Strengthening for women, GET STRONGER + FITTER
Tues+Thurs 7pm – Sat 10am Clissold Park N16 pic.twitter.com/p8rmdoBLne— Fitness Fox (@FitnessFoxLDN) August 18, 2015
She added: “The role model for females has changed from the skinny supermodel to a more strong and powerful girls that want shape.
“More and more women are beginning to lift weights or use full body dynamic movements and realise that this is the body they want, not to spend hour upon hour on a treadmill or in an aerobics class.”
Bedford remembered how earlier in her career the media often judged female athletes by their looks rather than their sporting ability and segregation by sex was common in gyms.
“Imagine what women feel like, walking into weights rooms and it being this hugely testosterone fuelled, guy dominated area.”
“It’s still very early days for women feeling accepted in that environment.”
Now, she says, things are changing.
“Female empowerment is huge.
“I want to continue that and make it inclusive, all women to train in a certain way and feel good about their bodies,” she said.
