How men and women are perceiving Fitness in today’s time
By Meenakshi Mohanty,
Fitness and adopting a fit lifestyle has become an integral part in people lives. When we look at the fitness industry, we will see that women have come a long way. Men have always been encouraged to be fit while women were considered dainty and vulnerable. It wasn’t until recent times that women have actually started engaging in some type of physical activity.
There is still a common presumption that men are more inclined towards fitness and are more athletic than women. It is also believed that more men are coming to gyms to sweat it out and build muscles as compared to women.
However, if you look at how women are engaging in fitness today, you will see women are experimenting with a range of workouts such as yoga to Pilates, boxing to strength and conditioning. Women of all walks of life such as celebrities, fitness experts etc are inspiring other women to make their physical and mental health a priority, while bring about a change in the way we all perceive health and fitness.
There is also a noticeable change in how we perceive our bodies these days, going from skinny to strong and athletic. We are living in an era, where muscles and curves are attractive and women are giving competition to men whether it is in the field of weight lifting, CrossFit or other competitive arenas of fitness.
So how different are men and women when it comes to fitness? Well let’s see
One of the major factors is Motivation. Men consider working out to be a sport, a challenge and a way to look bigger while women work out to lose weight and look better. However, both the sexes overlook the benefits of exercise, which is just to stay healthy.
Another major difference is the way men and women approach fitness. While women prefer to seek advice from experts and trainers and engage in a workouts which consists of a mix of cardio, yoga and strength training. They enjoy doing dance based workouts for body toning and building flexibility. Men on the other hand prefer exercising themselves and engage more in athletic based activities. Also men work out for longer hours as compared to women.
Physical differences between the sexes plays a key role on how they approach fitness. There are certain exercises that men and women can and cannot do. Men’s bodies are not as flexible as women; that’s because they don’t do much stretching. Men have a stronger upper body and tend to work more on those areas of their body. Women on the other hand have better lower body strength as they have less muscle mass than men. Therefore, women should use lighter weights when working out to avoid injuries.
So yes there is a difference in how men are women engage in fitness, however the gaps are closing and they can now learn from each other. Whether it is women getting into weight training as it helps to lose weight or men now doing Pilates, yoga etc as it helps to increase balance, core strength, and flexibility.
It is going to be exciting to see what the future of fitness holds for both the sexes and what is new out there to accomplish in the amazing field of fitness!
(The author is a Fitness Expert. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)