Bid to boost women’s fitness in Victoria

FORGET the airbrushed models in unrealistic Instagram “fitspiration” snaps, a new Victorian campaign aims to smash stereotypes and get women active.

FEAR of being judged, intimidation while exercising and being uncomfortable in exercise clothing is holding women back from fitness and sport.

But a major new three-year campaign aims to smash the stereotypes and barriers stopping Victorian women of all ages, shapes and sizes from getting out and being active.

Tina McCarthy, 54, has overcome her own worries. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

HEALTHY BODIES AND ‘PERFECT’ BODIES ARE NOT THE SAME THING, NEW CAMPAIGN SAYS

Building on the hugely successful This Girl Can campaign from Britain, a VicHealth program will hit TV screens from Sunday, celebrating real Victorian women cycling, playing netball, boxing, skating in a roller derby — and anything else than makes them fit, healthy and happy.

After the British campaign inspired 3.9 million women to get active, VicHealth chief executive Jerril Rechter said it was time for Australians to become empowered and celebrate who they are.

Rather than airbrushed models in unrealistic Instagram “fitspiration” images, in the “This Girl Can — Victoria” campaign, women from all ages and backgrounds overcome their fears to give exercise a go — curves and all.

“This really does celebrate real Victorian women getting active, giving it a go and smashing those stereotypes — not worrying about how they look or how sweaty they get,” Ms Rechter said.

Jerril Rechter, chief executive officer of VicHealth

“We know they are real barriers women face, so celebrating real women with real bodies doing their thing and not worrying about what people think is great.”

VicHealth is investing $3 million a year in the campaign after two years of discussions to licence the rights from Sport England.

CAMPAIGN TO TEENAGE GIRLS ACTIVE AS RESEARCH SHOWS THEY FACE EPIDEMIC OF CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

Three in five Australian women do not exercise enough, with new VicHealth research showing the fear of being judged is stopping more than half of Victorian women being more physically active.

The campaign will encourage women to get active. Picture: David Crosling

The VicHealth survey of 2000 women also found:

ONE in five do no physical activity in their typical week;

WOMEN are more than twice as likely to worry about being unfit or unable to keep up when beginning exercises;

A THIRD of women feel judged for having to stop or slow down during exercise, compared with a quarter of men;

A QUARTER of women fear changing in front of others for sport, while more than 40 per cent do not want to work out in public and find gyms intimidating; and

THIRTY per cent of women feel uncomfortable in exercise clothing.

‘THIS GIRL CAN’ CAMPAIGN TO INSPIRE VICTORIAN WOMEN

Tina McCarthy, 54, has overcome her own worries and is helping challenge gender stereotyping on her bicycle.

“One of the first times when I wore a jersey I remember this guy behind me say to his mate: ‘Fat chicks should never wear Lycra’,’’ she said.

“It stuck with me and I won’t forget that comment. It is still hurtful.

“I still don’t look like the images in magazines and I never will — but I don’t care because I am getting out there, doing it and having a great time.”

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POWERFUL CAMPAIGN TO BLITZ FEMALE SPORT STEREOTYPES

Jerril Rechter

IN TODAY’S era of #MeToo and women speaking up and taking a stand, you’d think we’d feel free to get physically active whenever we choose. Women are now playing Aussie rules and we’re making major inroads into traditionally male-dominated sports, but it seems something is stopping us from getting active.

According to the latest stats from VicHealth, over half of Victorian women worry about being judged when exercising. They worry more than men about keeping up, being unfit and find it harder to go back to exercise when they haven’t done it for a while — particularly after having kids. For more than 40 per cent of us, this feeling of embarrassment or intimidation is so strong it actually stops us from taking part in sport or exercise.

That’s certainly what VicHealth found when we put the call out last year for Victorian women to tell us about their experiences of getting active.

Over and over again we heard stories of women who were embarrassed, intimidated, shamed. Women who were told they should be at home with their kids, they should lose weight, they shouldn’t wear Lycra. Women who were told that cricket, AFL, boxing, surfing are a man’s domain.

Emma Kearney of the Bulldogs kicks forward during the AFLW grand final match between the Western Bulldogs and the Brisbane Lions at Ikon Park in Melbourne. Picture: AAP

That’s where our This Girl Can — Victoria campaign steps in. Following on the heels of the world-famous campaign by Sport England which inspired 3.9 million British women to ditch the couch and get active — VicHealth is launching our very own Victorian This Girl Can. The powerful TV campaign stars 12 local women — no airbrushed Instagram models — overcoming their fears and giving it a go, curves, jiggles, wrinkles and all. The women, from across Victoria, get their sweat on in a range of activities from boxing, cycling and roller-derby to netball and Aussie rules.

In the TV ad we see netballer Sally shooting goals in a game despite being told she’s “too old to play”, Tina on the bike even after someone’s heckled her “fat chicks shouldn’t wear Lycra” and Jaime’s still playing soccer despite her “Mum belly”. The women in our TV ad are everyday women who’ve found the confidence to get out there and get active.

Women who try, and fail, and laugh and love it anyway. Women who say “I can do this.”

This Girl Can — Victoria is about smashing those old-fashioned stereotypes and the fear stopping women from getting out there and giving it a go.

This Girl Can — Victoria isn’t about making women feel bad about not doing enough exercise. It’s about celebrating what they can do — even if it’s just a walk around the block or a few laps of the pool.

One thing’s for sure, in Victoria we know This Girl most definitely Can.

This Girl Can — Victoria hits TV screens tonight, get involved by heading to thisgirlcan.com.au and join the community on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and follow the #ThisGirlCanVIC.

Jerril Rechter is the chief executive officer of VicHealth.