Brought to you by
“As women, we take it all in our stride, but we all need to find time to fill up our own cup and prioritise our own health and wellbeing,” Entrepreneur Diana Williams explains. And it’s that understanding – of a woman’s need to be supported by experts in women’s health – that gave her the idea to launch a women-only fitness centre some 33-years ago.
It had long been a dream of Williams’ to open a gym of this kind, envisioning a “a girls’ club with lovely things women appreciate – like fresh fruit, or flowers,” but little did she know at the time, that her concept – Fernwood Fitness – would become a national health, fitness and wellness club with 70+ locations all around Australia, offering the best personal trainers and nutrition coaches specialising in women’s health.
The former weightlifting champion nurtured the gym-for-women concept, and carved out a space for women to exercise with confidence, focusing on encouraging language, reminding them to find beauty in strength, and training them with the kind of confidence we all need to succeed in life – all while focussing on holistic health and wellbeing.
Gone are the days of being sidelined by men crowding the weights; no more ogling to put up with. And the unsolicited annoying gym advice? Nonexistent. All of this led to the conception of a place where women are encouraged to make new connections with others who have similar goals, building a network that’ll hold them accountable and lift them up.
Get It All
Embracing a female-focused approach, Fernwood Fitness clubs are purpose-built and fitted out with a range of services, from Reformer Pilates to FIIT30 (Fernwood’s exclusive HIIT workouts) and state-of-the-art cardio equipment, alongside personal trainers, nutrition coaches and world-first wellness programs, all working in sync to help you achieve your health goals.
Then there’s the little touches that make Fernwood unique: think hair products, hairdryers and straighteners, creche services, 24/7 access with secure key-fob access for members and sparkling-clean change rooms and amenities. Plus, each morning the centres offer a healthy breakfast comprising of fruit, toast, cereal, tea and coffee.
Beyond The Physical
As ideas of what it means to be “healthy” evolve, so does Fernwood. The gym aims to help women improve their health through fitness, but also supports a holistic experience by offering wellness programs that teach mental and emotional ‘fitness’ to assist in areas of stress management, sleep health, mindfulness and meditation, values alignment and self-care.
The gyms also host empowerment sessions, like their most recent Empower Hour (a live no equipment-free workout and mindful meditation session) to support Dress for Success – a global not-for-profit organisation that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Bringing together an eclectic group of women from different walks of life, Williams’ vision was to creating sanctuaries tethered, not to ideals of what the body looks like, but of what it can do.
Try the health, fitness and wellness club women love with a free 7-day pass to Fernwood Fitness here.
