Movement for all abilities: How Diverse Does used This Girl Can to target all types of women
Prior to creating Diverse Does, personal trainer Natasha trained women both in one-on-one formats and in small bootcamp settings. She noticed firsthand how women judge themselves harshly on their looks and ability. So, she decided to do something about it.
Diverse Does is a monthly fitness class designed to provide an open, accepting space for women of all ages and abilities. It offers a body-positive and supportive space for women with injuries, disabilities and health conditions, with varying options for all fitness levels, so no one feels excluded.
This Girl Can move
“In my experience, the greatest judgement comes from the women themselves,” said Natasha, Personal Trainer and Founder of Diverse Does. “I never have clients come up to me and say ‘so-and-so is so slow’, it’s always ‘I am so slow’.”
“The greatest barrier is this idea that being fit looks a certain way – which is absolute BS,” she continued. “So many women apologise to me for how they look before we even start a session. I saw that I needed to create a space that was specific to women, where all sizes and abilities aren’t just welcomed, but celebrated and loved.”
“Hearing about This Girl Can Victoria pushed me to do something I’d been wanting to do for a while – design monthly women’s fitness classes that were judgement-free and completely body-positive spaces,” Natasha said.
Inspiring all types of women to get active
Natasha was inspired by the message This Girl Can – Victoria promotes, and equipped with campaign resources, went about encouraging women of all types to attend her fitness classes.
“This Girl Can Victoria gave me great templates to work with,” she said. “Also sharing videos, photos and posts has motivated and engaged so many of my clientele.”
Natasha published videos about her fitness classes to demonstrate that all women could participate in her classes and work to their own level of ability without being excluded from the group. She also introduced the concept of monthly themes to keep things interesting.
“I wanted each class to have a different theme to keep things fun and a little bit silly. Through using humour and a sense of fun I wanted to get everyone to bring their guard down and just enjoy themselves,” she explained.
Another way she inspired women to give it a try was by ensuring Diverse Does was operated in a safe space, both physically and emotionally. Natasha worked hard to locate places that were private and not in the public eye, so women could feel comfortable moving freely.
The result of body-positive exercise, with options
Natasha handed out surveys before and after Diverse Does classes to assess the impact the sessions were having. Results showed that 65% of women scored 6/10 for how good they felt before the class, while 90% of women scored 8/10 or higher after the class.
One happy Diverse Does attendee said, “The sessions are fun and exciting. It feels like a girls’ support group and catch-up time, and the trainer Natasha is so encouraging and welcoming. She provides a safe space for all women to be themselves and step out of their comfort zone.”
Natasha also found that 55% of women said they felt energised after a Diverse Does class. Others reported feeling ‘confident’, ‘elated’, ‘happy’ and ‘relaxed’. What’s more – 100% of women said they’d come back for another Diverse Does class!
One member loved that “Diverse Does offers alternative moves and exercises for all fitness levels.” She advised other This Girl Can – Victoria supporters to “always ensure that there’s a welcoming space and a welcoming group of like-minded women involved, to ensure all members get along well.”
Women with injuries, disabilities, health conditions or varying levels of ability can find it difficult to engage in physical activity without feeling judged or insecure. Diverse Does caters to all types of women, making a point to include diverse groups. They do this by:
- Utilising This Girl Can – Victoria templates and resources
- Tailoring messaging specifically to women with health conditions or concerns about their ability, and by offering in-class options to adapt exercises
- Using music and fun themes to keep classes fresh and engaging.
Want more inspiration on how to support your community of women to get active? See our other supporter case studies for tips, tricks and a whole lot of good feels.