Articles
Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man? Meeting Women’s Unique Demands in Recreational Programming
By Monica A. Dixon, Ph.D., R.D
In the classic film, “My Fair Lady,” Professor Henry Higgins becomes increasingly frustrated with his protégé, Eliza Doolittle, who has come to him to learn how to be a lady. Higgins frustration culminates in a solo he sings, “Why Can’t a Woman Be More Like a Man?” in which he laments the fact women are so complicated and problematic. If they could just be like men, all the problems on earth would be solved.
Unfortunately, whether in romance or fitness, women do differ from men in a variety of ways, and using a gender-specific template for either (or for many other matters, as far as that goes) can rob either gender from the uniqueness of their experiences. Last fall, I had the opportunity to attend the International Women’s Health Congress in Washington, D.C. and learn from researchers all over the world about their discoveries specific to women’s health concerns. The conference, sponsored by the American Psychological Association, included information from a psychological, physical, emotional and spiritual perspective. As a health educator working with women’s groups, I found the most interesting new material to be in the area of motivating women to exercise and become involved in recreational pursuits. I share the information I gained with you here in the hopes of helping you better target this population with your programs.
Researchers reported that women had several gender-specific factors related to their decision whether to involve themselves in exercise and fitness pursuits. The multiple roles women fill, such as spouse, mother, professional, sister, friend, etc. hampered their ability to step out of these roles and do something uniquely for themselves. Financial issues impeded women’s involvement, as researchers speculated women more often than not will spend money on the family before themselves. Women also experience developmental milestones in their lives that need to be considered, such as pregnancy, menopause and retirement that can influence their weight and health. Socialization concerns are a factor, including items such as older women who’ve been taught that sweating or public display of the body in fitness clothing is inappropriate. It’s no news that women are the primary caregivers in society, and many women in the research remarked that too many responsibilities impeded on their time to care for themselves. Also, as women aged, they reported that poor health often hindered them from exercise or fitness programs.
One of the most interesting statistics this particular study of 8,000 women found was that clearly two-thirds of women preferred to not exercise in groups. Those that did reported an average length of stay in the group of only six months. Therefore, researchers suggested that the current model of offering women’s fitness and recreational programs that women must come to must be altered to take the programs to where the women are in order to increase adherence rates.
Several successful interventions were reported. Researchers predicted that the greatest gains in the future will be supervised, home-based programs that involve tailored interventions developed specific to individualthe woman and her needs. Worksite interventions and programs that can accommodate women’s insane schedules will be increasingly successful. Community-based programs hold great potential, where communities build coalitions to address much larger populations than those found at the local health club. One such program that has been highly successful is the “Women on the Move” project in California, in which local women gather at neighborhood parks to workout with small groups of other women. Finally, ethnic tailoring to meet specific cultural and ethnic groups needs will need to be addressed in future program development.
Understanding women’s unique needs when considering fitness and recreational involvement is essential in providing motivating and effective programs across the lifespan. For further information, the following websites provide reputable information on women’s health, www.4woman.gov, www.womens-health.com, and www.goaskalice.columbia.edu, a website provided by Columbia University to respond to women’s health questions.