When the gym replaces nights out: what are Christian women gaining—and losing?

Today, twenty-somethings are increasingly choosing the gym and workout classes with friends to socialise and have fun, over hitting pubs and clubs. From the camaraderie of lifting weights to achieving a personal best at a CrossFit gym, to sweating it out at a high-tempo spin class with some great dance hits. Hitting the gym instead of the clubs gives you the feel-good vibes without the hangover (or the effects of a late night).

After many of us started working out at home during the pandemic lockdowns (who else remembers doing Joe Wicks PE lessons every day with their kids?), social media content from gyms helped the world see that gyms can be fun, vibrant spaces where you can socialise and work out with your friends.

READ MORE: Faith, fitness, and who gets to tell the story of the body

Digital fitness creator Sydney Cassidy, 28, says:  ‘The gym is my space to get a social fix and to talk to and see people. It’s also a place to opt out of drinking culture without forgoing a social life. I don’t go out drinking.’

PureGym, the UK’s largest gym chain, notes 47% of its new joiners in January were aged 25 or under. The Gym Group says about 40%, or 360,000, of its members are Gen Z - adults under 29 - of which more than half, 51%, said they had formed a new friendship on the gym floor. So if more Gen Z are finding the gym to be a place of community and belonging, rather than the pub like my generation did, is this a good thing? On the whole, ‘yes!’

For the last four years, I’ve been going to a local gym by my house, and lo and behold, I made a good friend. 

For the last four years, I’ve been going to a local gym by my house, and lo and behold, I made a good friend. We’ll call her Mel. We started chatting at a Zumba class where the tunes were absolutely banging, and then, with jelly-legs and high on post-workout endorphins, stayed for step aerobics! We swapped numbers, which led to regular meet-ups at the gym in the evenings. I would leg it out of the door to meet her as soon as my husband got in from work, craving the movement, the music, and the friendship. It did me so much good, both physically and emotionally.

READ MORE: I was at peak fitness when I was diagnosed with cancer - it made me question what the Bible says about my body

I moved house last year, and that gym closed down. Mel and I are still in touch, meeting for the odd coffee, but I really miss having that space where I could show up, have a chat, get motivated, and have a laugh.

Now my new gym is council-run, and it has separate men’s and women’s sessions. 

Now my new gym is council-run, and it has separate men’s and women’s sessions. I like that my gym sessions are women-only and that I get access to all the heavy weights without feeling intimidated by men. These fitness sessions don’t have the same social side as the classes I used to do, though, so I’m going to check out the pricing at the CrossFit gym 15 minutes away from my house (that 15-minute journey could mean I don’t make it as often, though!).

When I was growing up (I’m 41), it felt like the gym was only for tiny sporty girls who wanted to stay tiny. As a bigger girl, I felt out of place and intimidated by the gym- and that kept me from exercising for most of my twenties, which is really sad.

I love that today the gym I’m seeing is for women of every shape, size, and stage of life! I think this inclusivity shift makes God happy- taking care of our physical health is important. God gave us one body, and we need to steward it and care for it. God also created our bodies to enjoy movement, he designed our brains to release feel-good chemicals when we exercise, so I think he feels our pleasure along with us when we enjoy working out.

READ MORE: There’s now a Christian nightclub with no secular music or alcohol… and it absolutely POPS off

Meeting at the gym is better for us than meeting at the pub, like my generation used to. The Bible tells us we shouldn’t get drunk on wine but instead be filled with the Spirit, so the gym is a more edifying place for us to spend time, and of course, it’s better for our health. Having said that, I do still adore an occasional night out dancing with girlfriends, and personally choose to do this sober.

Data has shown that the gym replacing girls’ nights out has impacted the pub and club industry, with the number of clubs, pubs, bars, and casinos declining by 28% since the Covid pandemic and continuing to fall last year. It will be interesting to see how Gen Alpha treats health and wellness, too, it hasn’t escaped my attention that my 11-year-old has nicked my dumbbells recently, and I think this shift away from drinking culture and towards health will serve him well when he turns 18.

If you’re reading this, and you’re looking for a regular place to socialise, make new friends, feel good, and invest in your health, then this is your nudge to visit your local gym today.