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Shingai Dhlamini, [email protected]
WOMEN are increasingly driving the fitness industry, with a substantial portion of fitness class attendees and gym members being female. Gyms across the city are full of women seeking to improve their health and achieve their ideal physique.

Motivations for hitting the gym vary widely among women, encompassing goals such as overall wellness, weight management, and enhanced body image.

Karen Nyoni, a fitness enthusiast and entrepreneur, shares her story about why she embraced fitness.

“Honestly and truly speaking, a heartbreak sent me to the gym. It was a ‘revenge body’ goal. I felt that I was too skinny and needed to gain weight healthily, of course. At the same time, it was a way of dealing with my emotional side by shutting my pain with physical pain and tiredness so I could sleep at night,” said Nyoni.

After achieving her revenge body, she started to enjoy the peace that comes with training and decided to continue, adding gym sessions to her daily routine.

“I plan, prioritise, and set boundaries each day. That’s why I’m not a morning gym person. I always prefer to start my day with work.

“I then go to the gym with planned workouts for each day, and afterwards, it’s family bonding time. I always set my boundaries and never mix any of the above,” she said.
Nyoni has seen the benefits of staying fit and encourages women to indulge more in fitness programmes.

Karen Nyoni in the gym

“Besides looking good, training comes with better stress management, better sleep, better mood, you look younger, your skin tone glows, energy boosts, better heart health, healthier stronger bones, weight management, flexibility, confidence, and it boosts one’s sex life,” she said.

Charlene Moyo, a fitness trainer at Ngezi Platinum Queens and a former footballer, says that women choose to go to the gym to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid unnecessary illnesses.

Karen Nyoni

“At the gym, one gets to keep fit and maintain a healthy body, which in turn is good mentally and physically. For professional women, it is sometimes difficult to manage work, household chores, and the gym, but women are very dedicated to what they do. You find that a woman will wake up early in the morning, do her chores, and after everything is settled, she will go to the gym and exercise before going to work,” said Moyo.

Moyo also added that household chores are great cardiovascular exercises which women should not ignore.

“As women, we benefit a lot from going to the gym. It is good to stay fit and live a healthy life. Household chores are good cardio exercises to help one keep fit and in shape. I advise women to start exercising; it is good therapy. You can refresh your mind, and we learn a lot from mingling with other ladies at the gym,” she said.

Mildred Mashingaidze

Mildred Mashingaidze, a woman who wears many hats as a chartered accountant, entrepreneur, mother, and wife, finds time to visit the gym regularly to balance her busy life.

She said that as a busy person, she could not find time to exercise at some point and gained too much weight.

“I always used to drive around, and at some point, I gained too much weight, and my doctor recommended I join the gym. Through commitment, you can reach your gym goals, and improve your endurance. Exercising is great for the body, mental health, cardio, and skin. It is also a good place to socialise and interact,” said Mashingaidze.

Mildred Mashingaidze

She believes that by following a schedule, it becomes easier.

“By starting at the gym in the morning, you are much more productive throughout the day as your mind has already been energised. I encourage women to make the gym part of their life as it is also great for the skin; you glow differently,” said Mashingaidze.

Tapiwa Zimhamba, a professional fitness trainer, said that women usually hit the gym because they fail to do it correctly at home and struggle with belly fat.

“Firstly, the gym does not discriminate; it’s not gender-based. Women should join and promote healthy living. The gym helps with chronic illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. It strengthens the immune system and promotes good mental health, especially these days when people are bottling up issues and in the end opt for suicide.

“People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges,” said Zimhamba.

Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression and anxiety. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood.

And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. You can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to deal with mental health problems, improve your energy and outlook, and get more out of life.