Get up girls – and save us from this parade of ‘poisonous femininity’ in the gym, writes EVE SIMMONS –

It’s been over a year since I last went to the gym. This visit for a quick workout was enough to scare me for life.

Much has been said about muscular men hiding women behind weight machines and making us uncomfortable. But they were not my problem: they were women.

There were two people squatting to my left as I scrambled on a treadmill. All of them, including their false eyelashes, were made up by holding their smartphones balanced on the floor to film it.

Their moves in tight stockings – I’m sorry in advance – were gynecologically obvious.

Another attractive young woman was constantly rearranging her neckline in the mirror.

I didn’t know where to look, but I suspected it was all in favor of female social media followers, who collected the admittedly cool videos and photos they posted.

Dressed in shabby tights and a T-shirt I wear often, I suddenly felt awkward.

Apparently I was the only woman who wasn’t wearing a see-through suit designed to lift her bust and hips and show the belly.

My run took 15 minutes before I hurriedly left – I almost swore never to set foot again.

I’m not the only one with a gym phobia. A study published last week shows that half of British women have not exercised properly in the past year. That’s just over a third of men, according to the Nuffield Health charity’s survey of 8,000 adults.

Why? Some have suggested that this is because we take on the burden of other time-consuming responsibilities such as childcare. But I’m wondering if anyone else got delayed because of the type of transport I was placed in?

Most people have heard of toxic masculinity, a term used to describe the aggressive and bullying behaviors some men engage in. The female version is probably more harmful as it is less recognizable.

But just as toxic masculinity causes men to be viewed as enemies, toxic femininity requires us to compete indefinitely.

Who won? The girl with the best shape or the girl with the most perfect skin and hair? Or what does the man get?

And as I learned, everything happens in the gym.

There may be those who wonder what is wrong with young women who want to be fit and look beautiful. I have no problem with it. But that’s not what I see.

Search for “women’s sportswear” on Google like I did yesterday and photos of girls in apparent outfits pop up. But it’s not the clothes themselves that bother me, it’s how the models present them.

Some crouch, turn to the camera, pout expressively over their shoulders, their hips parted. Others pushed their breasts, spread their legs apart. I found myself wondering what exercise they should do. It bothers me not because I’m a little sober – it’s great that women feel confident and attractive – but because it’s vague. He pretends to sell health and wellness but actually says, “Look at my body.”

Young people watching this are honestly thinking about sex. And research has shown that the more they look at such images, the more they see women as objects. So really, anyone who claims that all of this empowers women in some way – it doesn’t.

Girls have a hard time adjusting and often go to great lengths to achieve a body type. Most women over the age of 13 can achieve a flat, toned stomach just by exercising hard and eating very little.

And studies show that women who see many images of seemingly perfect female bodies are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than those who don’t.

Most importantly, when you’re at the gym, the lycra pout show is simply repulsive.

Numerous public health initiatives have failed to get women physically active. The same obstacle comes up again and again: we care about how we look during training. A recent survey shows that nearly one in five women do not exercise because they fear being “red and sweaty” in front of others.

I have countless friends who struggle with their weight and pay a mouthwatering price for stationary bikes to avoid having to step into the gym. And if there’s one thing that makes you feel bad about your looks, it’s the washboard abs of a gorgeous fitness model who’s barely sweating. I know this would be described by some as a grossly unfeminist attack. But I don’t blame the women in the gym. They are victims of our sex-obsessed culture and do what they think is necessary to fit in.

“In the past these were just Playboy bunnies, but now it seems inevitable that men will watch them,” says feminist writer Naomi Wolf. “Maybe the world of fitness is a guilt-free new way for men to deal with semi-pornographic images. These women are athletic, so that’s okay.

“Most importantly, the sullen look dressed in lycra when she’s at the gym just gets repulsive,” writes Eve Simmons.

At least the Playboy bunnies were honest about what they were selling. This new version is completely unfair. But, of course, that’s the problem with toxic femininity – the last thing you want to do is be honest about how far you’ve come.

It’s kind of like yoga, positive attitude, and drinking lots of water where Hollywood stars claim to have plastic surgery and barely age one day in 40 years. These lies are meant to outdo other women: “Look, my beauty defied the laws of nature and biology.” And totally poisonous.

Wolf also doesn’t want to point out the women in question.

“Some people feel insecure and helpless when they see images of aesthetic perfection, but others don’t feel it at all,” she says.

I’m not sure I fully agree. These days, this pornographic aspect seems to be pretty common in the fitness world. No wonder the main reason most women exercise is to change their body shape.

For many, however, this is not an effective motivator: having fun is. Research shows that the most powerful tool to help us maintain an activity is the amount of pleasure we get from it.

“I want more women to enjoy exercising,” says Renee McGregor, sports dietitian and author of the athletic performance guide More Fuel You.

‘I like to walk in the countryside with a group of friends because I build a social life out of it and release accumulated energy. Too often people see the gym as a control exercise, a punishment. Lifting weights stays away from exercise as much as possible while those around me look in the mirror.”

So girls, my request is this: Take a walk with a friend. Running with a dog (or someone else’s dog). Join a friendly tennis team (which I did). Swim under the gorgeous sun – go dancing!

And maybe stop taking pictures of yourself at the gym.