Aquamoves celebrated This Girl Can Week
By Aaron Cordy
WOMEN across Victoria celebrated This Girl Can Week 2024, November 10 to 17. A VicHealth initiative promoting a range of activities hosted by local councils, sporting clubs and groups across the state. The aim was for women of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds to come together for some fun, friendly, social, healthy activity.
Last Sunday, Aquamoves Shepparton held a women-only body balance and yoga session, women-only swimming classes and hosted guest speaker Dr Margreet Stegeman who is a women’s health specialist as part of This Girl Can 2024.
Aquamoves Fitness instructor Kym Hanley was excited by the opportunity to encourage more women into the gym with the This Girl Can class.
“I think, and it’s across the board for anyone that comes into a gym, but anyone that comes into a fitness facility finds it intimidating,” said Kym.
“They’re worried about being judged, they’re worried about not getting the right technique and looking silly. So, there is a lot of fear around coming into a fitness facility. You add to that a different culture or different religious beliefs, and then the social media pressure for women especially. All those things make it extremely intimidating for women to come to the gym.
“For the majority of our group fitness classes, the bigger population is women anyway. But I think for the swim side, especially for Muslim women who can’t swim when there’s men present, you know, shut the pool to men and to have it open only women, opens an opportunity they wouldn’t have… To give them the ability to learn to swim in an environment that they’re allowed to be comfortable and safe is huge.
“It’s a real melting pot in Shepparton. So, we need to make sure that we make everyone feel welcome.”
While the women-only sessions are a wonderful initiative from VicHealth with This Girl Can, Kym stresses the importance of exercise and fitness in long-term health, and the inclusive comfortable environment Aquamoves tries to create for everyone.
“Something that we really need to stress for women, especially as they’re approaching middle age and older, you know, to get women into the gym is huge. They’re finding more and more research that suggests that weight training and cardiovascular exercise is really important to keep their health and longevity, especially through menopause and post-menopause.
“If we can get women to understand that you won’t bulk up from the gym, you know you won’t. You have to really work your backside off to try and grow muscle. But what it will give them is bone density. It will give them a better immune system. It’ll make them feel better about themselves. It’ll keep them strong.
“So, if we can get women to understand that we’re opening this up to you because we want you to have the best life you can. We want you to feel as good as you can. It’s not about size. It’s not about skin colour. It’s not about religion. It’s about you as an individual being looked after and keeping you well.”
