Hucknall Leisure Centre to host new exercise classes aimed at reducing gender gap around physical activity

A new exercise class aimed at reducing the gender gap is due to launch in Ashfield on Monday (7 February).

Award-winning leisure operator Everyone Active will host This Girl Can sessions at Hucknall Leisure Centre and Lammas Leisure Centre as part of Sport England's campaign of the same name.

The classes, created by Sport England in partnership with EMD UK, the national governing body for group exercise, seek to encourage those who are new to physical activity.

And with the most recent Active Lives Adult Survey showing that women remain less likely to exercise than men, it is hoped the new classes will help to redress the balance.

Everyone Active, which runs its Ashfield sites in partnership with Ashfield District Council, will stage hour-long This Girl Can classes.

The hour is split into sections which include a warm-up, two 10-minute exercise blocks, and a cool-down.

The exercise blocks include any combination of dance fitness, boxing fitness, move, tone or yoga-inspired stretch, so participants can experience a variety of activities. Everyone Active membership is not required.

Class leaders have undergone a This Girl Can training course with EMD UK, which is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity.

Lorenzo Clark, Everyone Active's contract manager, said: "It is vitally important that we play our part to close the gender gap when it comes to exercise.

"We want to offer opportunities for more women to get active and have fun in a supportive environment and believe these classes provide an ideal route into regular physical activity, for those who wish to take it further.

"The classes are accessible and are designed to appeal to women who would like to dip their toe in the water and see how their local leisure centre can help them exercise and improve their fitness.

"We hope women from the community will come down to their local centre, take part in a class and begin to enjoy the state-of-the-art facilities on their doorstep."

Councillor Rachel Madden, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Health and Wellbeing, said: "It is fantastic to see classes specifically for women and girls. So many give up sports as they get older.

"With exercise having such positive benefits on both physical and mental health – it is important that we continue to do as much as we can to get them back into sports.

"These classes provide a safe environment to come and try out new activities. As part of our leisure transformation, we want to ensure our leisure centres are as inclusive as possible."

Shelley Meyern, Head of Operations and Projects at EMD UK, said: "It has been brilliant to work with Everyone Active on launching these classes.

"The centres and instructors have a great enthusiasm and desire to assist the women the classes have been designed for.

"From the physical and mental benefits that being active can bring, to the social connections we can make, every woman deserves to feel the benefits of getting active.

"At This Girl Can classes, you can be reassured that there are no wrong moves and everyone can take it at their own pace. We want women to come and do their worst."