The Final Rep, Issue 16: How Women Shaped the Fitness Scene
Celebrating Women’s History Month with a look back on some pretty strong women.
Happy Women’s History Month, my friends! You know I love celebrating women, particularly women in fitness and sports. So, this week I thought we’d take a little look back on some of the pivotal moments of the workout world in which powerful, smart, talented women helped to shape the future for females.
We’ve certainly come a long way since women were looked down on for sweating in public (I certainly would not have succeeded in life in those times). Thankfully, many women have cleared the path for more advancements in movement, and more inclusion too. Of course, you’ve already heard names of fitness history like Suzanne Somers (who can forget the thigh master?) and newly minted Cecil B. DeMille Award Winner, Jane Fonda (the woman is GLOWING at 83 and her ‘80s fitness routine probably has something to do with it). You have also heard the names, Billie Jean King (tennis star and advocate for gender equality and LGBTQ rights), Serena Williams (another tennis great with 23 Grand Slam titles, who also speaks on equality), and Allyson Felix, who’s got more gold medals in track and field than Usain Bolt and she just joined the “Hear Her” campaign, raising awareness on pregnancy emergencies and disproportionately poor pregnancy outcomes for Black women.
But here, a few other names you might not recognize, who played a role in molding the fitness and sports world for women today:
Margaret Abbott. The first female U.S. Olympic champion, Abbott competed in golf at the 1900 Paris Games, the first year in which women could participate in the global event. She shot a 47 in a nine-hole tournament to win.
Indra Devi and Geeta Iyengar. If you’ve taken a yoga class before, you can thank these women for helping to spread the practice. Devi, sometimes known as “the first lady of yoga,” was an original student (and only woman student) of Krishnamacharya, the founder of yoga. She opened a yoga school in Hollywood, CA in 1946. Iyengar is the oldest daughter of B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of the Iyengar style of yoga. She also wrote the book, Yoga: A Gem for Women, which helped to advance yoga for females.
Alice Coachman. The first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal for the high jump in 1948, she reached 5 feet, 6 1/8 inches to score the top-place finish. She was also the first Black female athlete to get an endorsement deal, with Coca-Cola.
Kathrine Switzer. Women weren’t allowed to run marathons (people thought they couldn’t run 26.2) until Switzer broke the rules. She signed up for the 1967 Boston Marathon and was the first female to officially finish, even when officials tried to pull her off the course. A journalism student at Syracuse University (another reason I love her), she also did her training in the frigid temps of Upstate New York—an impressive feat in itself!
Judi Sheppard Missett.I still get pitches about jazzercise all the time—and that’s because, after 50 years, it’s going strong. Missett founded the fitness phenomenon back in the 1970s, paving the way for future exercise classes.
Dr. Jan Todd. High five for all the female powerlifters in the room, including this woman who, in 1975, broke the Guinness World Record of 394 pounds for the deadlift. By 1976, she was deadlifting 412 pounds and in 1977, became the first woman to squat more than 400 pounds. She was also inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.
Sheryl Swoopes. One of the very first players signed to the WNBA when it formed in 1996, Swoopes earned three MVP titles in 2000, 2002, and 2005, and won four straight championships with the Houston Comets from 1997 to 2000. She was also the first woman to get a signature Nike basketball shoe.
Toni Carey, Ashley Hicks, and Jay Ell Alexander. The women behind Black Girls RUN!, Carey and Hicks founded the organization, while Alexander now serves as owner and CEO. Created to encourage more Black women to get out and run, you’ll now find BGR groups across the country.
There are many, many more women who have stepped up and broke down barriers over the years in fitness and sports, so this is in no way a complete list. But I’d love to hear who you love or who inspires you, so feel free to leave some info in the comments!
A few other people’s words about wellness I’ve read (and loved) recently:
Starting off with a source for all the amazing women who shattered glass ceilings across categories, from politics to music to healthcare. Check out the full library of TIME’s 100 Women of the Year, starting in 1920 and going through 2019.
Sad fact: Only 4% of total sports media coverage goes to women’s sports. So, Olympians Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Simone Manual, and Chloe Kim aim to change that by forming Togethxr, a new sports and lifestyle media company for women. The platform will feature photo essays, docuseries, and more from young athletes and storytellers. Read more about it on Self.com.
A celebrity hot spot where instructors wore leotards and led hundreds of people in aerobics, The New York Times’ “The Way We Worked Out,” takes a look back at a well-known fitness club in NYC in the ‘80s, known as the Vertical. People often went to this spot on the Upper East Side not only to sweat but also to be seen. It seems like it featured a community aspect I’m sure many of us are missing as we work out at home these days.
The latest updates on the fitness industry:
Adidas is aiming to make sports and fitness more inclusive, particularly for women, with the launch of their new campaign, “Watch Us Move.” It features a fitness series, “Move with Us,” complete with free workouts and a diverse group of instructors. They’ll also release an apparel collection, Formotion, from an all-female design team this spring.
Gatorade just launched the GX Sweat Patch and Gx App to help athletes determine their sweat levels and hydration needs.
Fabletics (apparel) and Hydrow (rowing machine) have teamed up, which means Fabletics will sell the rowers in stores, while also outfitting all the Hydrow instructors in the brand’s gear.
Here’s one form cue that always resonates with clients…
These words tend to work for individuals I train as an ah-ha moment for feeling stronger in a move or activating the right muscles. In a bent-over reverse fly, think about keeping the shoulders down away from the ears and make sure to look out and down. I often say look at the baseboard of your room, but that depends on how far you’re standing from it. You want your neck in a neutral position. (Many times, people look too far down, while also dropping the head while lifting the arms.)
To do it, hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of you in a hinge position, butt back, back flat, core engaged. With a slight bend in the elbows, pull the shoulders blades together, bringing your arms out to the sides, like you’re spreading your wings. Then, lower them back down in front of you with control, like you’re hugging a big beach ball.
One move to add to your exercise routine…
Diagonal step squat. Add a little variety to your typical squat with this variation, which makes you move in a new plane of motion with a little rotation. Start standing with feet about hip-width apart, holding a kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest. Step your right foot back on a diagonal, about at the 4 o’clock position. Then, lower into a squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees, keeping weight in the heels and chest tall. Make sure hips go straight back and weight is evenly distributed to both feet. Drive through both feet to stand back up, as you step back to the forward-facing position. Repeat, and then switch sides. To spice it up for your core, do an offset hold with the kettlebell or dumbbell, racking it on the side you’re stepping back.
For a full workout, try…
Following @AchieveFitnessBoston on IG! They have full workouts for you on YouTube, like a 20-minute dumbbell workout and kettlebell workout. But they also do brilliant little lessons on exercise form, training techniques, and exercise variations right on their Instagram. They’re also founded by an adorable husband-and-wife duo!
The gear I’m loving to get me out the door…
Because I’m pretending warm, tank-top weather is right around the corner, I’ll have you know that my favorite to run in is Athleta’s Vapor tanks! They are SO lightweight it basically feels like you’re not wearing a shirt, while still wearing a shirt.
Also, FYI, there are just ~hours~ left on a pretty awesome Sweaty Betty sale, in which I just scored a great deal on leggings I definitely don’t need, but definitely can’t resist! Check it out if you’re in the market.
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