Why are exercise classes mostly women?

I tried an exercise class, thinking that the communality would be a plus, but I found that not to be the case. There were more women than men, though not as extreme as in your case, but I find that regardless of the gender ratio, I prefer working out on my own.

My water aeraobics classes are mainly women but we welcome and are very friendly to the few brave(?) men who come. Don’t be discouraged or think you look creepy; I think many men think they’re too macho to go to a class.

I feel uncomfortable swimming alone. I don’t know what to do.

I truly think it is mostly related to if the instructors are men or women.
Additionally more of the class structure and offerings are more slanted towards woman’s exercise needs. Instructors also tend to be women.
I have been a personal trainer and certified instructor for many years. Group classes are typically filled with more women.
When I was in my 20’s I noticed this when I would go to classes. When I became certified and started teaching/leading, more men showed up. This is still the case for my classes. It doesn’t matter if it’s yoga, Pilates, Barre, or spinning.
Water aerobics class that I have led over my live have predominantly but not exclusively women.

I don’t feel like I can speak for any men aside from me. i don’t like high intensity environments, and I find gyms and exercise classes tend to want everything to be like you’re training for the olympics. I’m not an olympian. I just want my gut to be smaller.

So I tend to ride bike or walk on my own.

Men are much more likely to be content being fat slobs.

Women often prefer classes because we are less likely to get harassed.
@LuckyGuy Nobody will think you are a creeper if you don’t act creepy. Unfortunately, it is often uncomfortable for women to work out in gyms because too many men are creepy, especially now in the days of phone cameras. Last time I worked out in gyms was before those days, and it was a never ending eyeroll at the amount of crap I got. Not because I was pretty (believe me, nobody’s that pretty working out on the machines), just because I am female.

Women want to work out, not be the objects of desire or derision by cretins.

Because the girls like to get together and chew the fat.

Men feel safe exercising alone. Also exercise is not generally a social event for them.

@kritiper I’ve never been in a class that gives you time to chat, let alone get your breath.

@kritiper No, “girls” get together to “chew the fat” at coffee shops, restaurants, in their living rooms, on their phones, places like that. Not exercise classes. <eyeroll>

All my classes are also women. A few of mu male friends want to come but feel unwelcome, as if they may accidentally stare too long at a hottie.

@KNOWITALL At my classes, neither the women nor the men could be considered “hotties’! lol

1. Money. Not paying some already upper middle class hippie when I can work out at home or outside.

2. Not wanting to be labeled a creep.

3. Men don’t need friends and community/gossip as much.

@janbb haha!! It’s hard here, the gym’s are full of college students, bodybuilders and perverts.

^^ Dang!

@KNOWITALL Undoubtedly with significant overlap between those groups.

I think men are afraid their little buddy may pop-up in the most inopportune moments with all the women around.

@canidmajor And where do they go after the gym?? To get something to eat, of course…
The fat ALWAYS gets chewed!

^^^ <<eyeroll>> What you know about the lives of women could be painlessly engraved on my eyeball.

This was almost 30 years ago on TDY in Utah for a supplier that had bad quality and late deliveries to my company. Six of us were sent to try and straighten the supplier out. One guy “Hoss” was on an exercise program (overweight) at his local “Y” in our state, he got to Utah and asked around for a similar program; then ended up in the exercise program with the female US Ski team.

Thanks for your answers. I can distill them down a few reasons:
Men don’t care as much how they look. (That is abundantly clear when you see how guys dress in general.)
Women enjoy groups more (Although there is absolutely no time to talk. Maybe they get together after class.)
Money (Actually, the classes are virtually free. $1)
Higher percentage of men are working full time. (Although these are mostly an older, 50+ groups)
Not wanting to look like a creeper. (Absolutely true for me.)
Injuries?

I’m going to try a couple again. I’ll wear extra weights on my arms and ankles to increase the workout intensity.

~@Dig_Dug That wasn’t even a consideration but now I’ll be worrying about it. :-)

I’m a hard-core “gym rat” who’s belonged to several health clubs over the past 4+ decades. Although gym memberships are split evenly between genders, your observations are correct about activity choices.

Men tend to be equipment-oriented, using free weights, weight/resistance machines, and solo cardiovascular machines. Women prefer to participate in group exercise programs, such as Pilates, dance, barre, yoga, and workouts choreographed to music.

I believe there are two reasons for this pattern. First, there are the social dynamics of men wanting independent exercise and women tending to gravitate toward community. Second, men often believe that the classes, themselves, are geared toward women and their goals.

I most certainly perpetuate the tendency. Every week, I take 3 Spin classes and 4 Bodypump classes, but I never work out on the gym floor. (If you’re not familiar with Bodypump, it’s strength/resistance training, done in a group to music. The program uses low weights and high repetitions, about 1,000 repetitions per 1 hour class.) We all talk and socialize before/after class, and I met one of my closest friends about 7 years ago through Bodypump.

The Spin sessions are about 30% male/70% female, but Bodypump is <10% male. Guys see us using low weights and moving in unison to fun music, and they think the program is all about “girls” and not “boys.” That’s untrue, however; our male classmates get great results and are in enviable shape, yet the false perceptions continue.

@Love_my_doggie Great Answer. I went to another class today. I used the 7 pound dumbbells while most of the women were using 2 pounds. Plus I was wearing leg weights.
By picking heavier weights I can make the class as difficult as I wish. I will admit I was whipped at the end of the class. The 7 pounders were a lot of work for me. That is a good thing.
Also once I picked them I couldn’t admit defeat and downgrade to something lighter. I forced myself to work hard.

@LuckyGuy When I was anorexic in university I could not lift the lightest dumbbell weights. So I signed up for Aqua exercise in a group. It was very hard to push the noodle under the water, but it was possible. After a month I went back to the gym, and was able to lift the one pound dumbbell. At the end of the year I was able to workout with the 40 pound arm weights.

@RedDeerGuy1 Congratulations! That is fantastic progress! I hope you were able to retain some of it.