{"id":127,"date":"2024-01-22T18:10:58","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T18:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/?p=127"},"modified":"2024-05-01T12:06:03","modified_gmt":"2024-05-01T11:06:03","slug":"womxn-exercise-sessions-at-the-stv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/2024\/01\/22\/womxn-exercise-sessions-at-the-stv\/","title":{"rendered":"Womxn exercise sessions at the STV"},"content":{"rendered":"

January can often be a time for resolutions, trying to get into healthier habits or exercising more. For my latest blog about opportunities and experiences for our students (and in this case for staff and visitors too), I visited the Sports Training Village to take part in a Cykl (Womxn) exercise session. I spoke with Jess Winfield (Health & Fitness Instructor) about the variety of services the STV provide our community, focusing on the aims and ambitions of their WomXn sessions.<\/p>\n

\"Cassie
Cassie and Jess in the STV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cassie (CW):<\/strong> Hi Jess, could you tell me about your role at the STV and what a typical day looks like for you?<\/p>\n

Jess (JW):<\/strong> So here at the STV I am one of the health and fitness coaches in our gym. My day consists of teaching classes, taking members through programmes and Personal Training (PT) sessions and also managing the gym floor, helping all the members during their time in the gym.<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> So today I\u2019m going to attend a ride session for Women\/Womxn \u2013 could you explain what these sessions are and why they were introduced?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> The sessions have been introduced to help encourage any individual who does not identify as male to use the gym by creating an environment in which they feel comfortable and more confident. They have the ability to learn from female instructors and take part in various workshops and classes alongside using the open gym.<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> What impact do you think the Women\/Womxn sessions are having? Do you get good attendance, and maybe from some users who don\u2019t go to other sessions?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> The uptake of these sessions has been really successful and due to high numbers last year we introduced an additional session on a Tuesday lunchtime in September 2023 which has been really successful with lots of students saying that they value these sessions and feel more comfortable training during these times.<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> From my personal experience I really appreciate the sessions, what do other students and staff say?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> We have really good feedback from other students and staff members. For many individuals, these sessions and classes have been a way for them to be introduced to fitness and the gym environment. It allows them to gain confidence and a sense of belonging in the gym and also to make new friends. We have benefitted from a VIP group<\/a> from Dept of Psychology in reviewing the sessions and the results shows that 100% of attendees reported that they \u2018feel they belong\u2019; 98% reported \u2018they feel confident\u2019 and 96% felt \u2018no intimidation\u2019 in attending the sessions.<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> That\u2019s awesome. I know for some people it can be really daunting coming along to the STV and getting involved in sport and fitness, especially if you are a beginner. What else does the STV do to be inclusive?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> So here at the STV gym all members get the opportunity to have an induction, free PT sessions and a programme designed for them that can be reviewed every 6 weeks. So even if you are a complete beginner to the gym, we can help you get started on your journey and help you along the way. We always have staff members in the gym on hand to help if anyone is unsure or needs some advice.<\/p>\n

There are a number of programmes that have been created to support all students to be able to access activity for a wide range of reasons. These include \u2018prescription to exercise\u2019<\/a> programmes to support low mood and pan disability Tennis sessions delivered in conjunction with a national charity.<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> Do you have any tips for beginners? Or those worried about taking up a sport or exercising for the first time at the STV?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> Another reason why Womxn was introduced is that we wanted to show that exercise is for everyone. The gym is mainly a male dominated space and we wanted to change that stereotype and show that it is for everyone. We\u2019ve been able to create a space where females feel confident and can enjoy fitness and exercise without being worried.<\/p>\n

\"Women
Photo credit: Team Bath<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CW:<\/strong> Finally, the benefits of exercising regularly for good physical and mental health are well-documented. But do you also think there is a community aspect to sports too?<\/p>\n

JW:<\/strong> Everyone is aware on the health benefits that exercise has on our bodies but not so much our mental health. Regular exercise has been proven to help reduce anxiety, depression, negative moods, boost self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise does this by causing your brain to release a \u2018feel good\u2019 chemical like endorphins and serotonin which help improve our mood.<\/p>\n

Sport and physical activity provides connections for people with shared interests which breaks down some of the challenges of meeting new people and coping in a new environment, which all of our students face when they arrive at University. Lifelong friendships can be created through activity, memories are created through shared experiences and skills are developed in working as a team, solving problems, communicating effectively which are transferrable to so many areas of life. Sport can be the bond that creates a sense of belonging for students to each other, to a club, to a society and to the University and through those bonds have a huge amount of fun too!<\/p>\n

CW:<\/strong> Thanks so much for your time Jess, right let\u2019s ride!<\/p>\n

There will be a free Womxn session for anyone to attend, including special workshops, on Thursday 15th<\/sup> February 1630-1930. Contact the STV<\/a> for more information.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

January can often be a time for resolutions, trying to get into healthier habits or exercising more. For my latest blog about opportunities and experiences for our students (and in this case for staff and visitors too), I visited the...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1669,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,5,21,23,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-mental-health-and-wellbeing","category-sports","category-stv","category-support"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":188,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/2024\/07\/30\/summer-reflections-and-postgraduate-opportunities\/","url_meta":{"origin":127,"position":0},"title":"Summer reflections and postgraduate opportunities","author":"Cassie Wilson","date":"30 July 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For many colleagues and undergraduate students, the summer period can be used to rest, take a break, and then prepare for a new academic year in September. 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Yet we know that many experience loneliness at some point during their university journey.\u00a0In last year\u2019s Be Well Survey\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "community"","block_context":{"text":"community","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/category\/community\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/189\/2026\/03\/55139817808_bf4efdd29e_c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/189\/2026\/03\/55139817808_bf4efdd29e_c.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/189\/2026\/03\/55139817808_bf4efdd29e_c.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/189\/2026\/03\/55139817808_bf4efdd29e_c.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":264,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/2025\/10\/15\/celebrating-sport-championing-equality\/","url_meta":{"origin":127,"position":2},"title":"Celebrating Sport, Championing Equality","author":"Cassie Wilson","date":"15 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Today we host the Anniversary\u2019s Match between the University of Bath\u2019s men\u2019s rugby team and (this year) our south-west rivals Exeter, at The Rec. This comes hot on the heels of the Red Roses\u2019 win in the 2025 Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup, and our women\u2019s team will be cheering on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "2025"","block_context":{"text":"2025","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/category\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female athletes in a rugby scrum","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/189\/2025\/10\/54380610300_1ef022dd55_b-300x169.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/pvc-student-experience\/2022\/03\/02\/university-mental-health-day-thursday-3-march\/","url_meta":{"origin":127,"position":3},"title":"University Mental Health Day \u2013 Thursday 3 March","author":"Cassie Wilson","date":"2 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In this joint post, Professor Cassie Wilson, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) and Richard Brooks, Director of Human Resources, reflect on University Mental Health Day. 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