F45 Training Celebrates International Women’s Day
At its core, fitness has never just been about exercise.
It’s about connection. It’s about showing up — not just for a workout, but for the people beside you. The ones who push you through the last few seconds of a station, celebrate your wins, and remind you that you’re capable of more than you thought.
In today’s increasingly digital world, those moments of real human connection are more powerful than ever.
This International Women’s Day and for Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the women who help build those communities every single day. The leaders, coaches, studio owners, and members who prove that when people come together to move, support one another, and grow stronger side by side, fitness becomes something much bigger than a workout.
It becomes a community.
Why Community Matters More Than Ever
Science consistently shows that social connection plays a critical role in our overall health and well-being.¹ People who feel part of a community are more likely to stay consistent with exercise, experience lower levels of stress, and report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction.²
But beyond the science, there’s something more powerful at play: belonging.
When you step into an F45 Training studio, you’re not just walking into a workout. You’re stepping into a space where people know your name, celebrate your wins, and support you on the days when motivation feels hard to find.
In an era where many of us spend our days behind screens, those moments of in-person connection become even more meaningful. The high-fives after class. The encouragement during the final seconds of a station. The shared effort of pushing through something challenging together.
Those moments remind us that we’re not meant to do life — or fitness — alone.
Women Leading the Way
Across F45 Training studios around the world, women are shaping communities that empower people to grow stronger — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.
This International Women’s Day, we asked members and teams to share stories of women who inspire them. What came back were powerful reminders that leadership in fitness doesn’t just happen on a stage or in a boardroom. It happens every day in studios, classes, and communities.
One nomination celebrated a woman whose journey embodies strength, balance, and determination.
“For International Women’s Day, I can’t think of anyone more deserving to be featured than my sister – Tahnya Haddad, F45 Training Bankstown. Tahnya has been part of the F45 family for over 10 years, becoming a franchisee at just 19 years old — not by luck, but through relentless work, belief, and leading by example every single day.”
Her story reflects something many women in the fitness industry know well: strength takes many forms.
“Society still takes shots at women who are driven, fit, ambitious, and unapologetic about wanting more — as if strength and motherhood, softness and leadership, ambition and balance can’t coexist. Tahnya proves every day that they can.”
Across studios everywhere, women are redefining what leadership looks like.
One specific F45 Training coach spent over 15 years as a professional dancer, and discovered fitness through unexpected life changes.
“Everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry I had dedicated my life to suddenly paused… For me, the answer came through fitness.” – Chelsea DeLong, F45 Training East Lansing
What began as a new direction quickly became a new purpose.
“Coaching gave me that same spark — being part of something bigger, helping people push past their limits, and watching them grow in confidence and strength.”
Today, she leads as a studio manager, helping others discover what she found through movement: resilience, connection, and purpose.
Strength That Goes Beyond the Workout
For many female leaders in fitness, the impact goes far beyond the gym floor.
One studio owner shared how leadership allows her to redefine the conversation around women’s strength:
“My favorite part about being a female leader in the fitness industry is showing women, especially moms, that strength doesn’t require shrinking. For so long, fitness has been about being smaller. I love leading from a place that says: get stronger for life, not smaller for society.” – Katy MacDonald, F45 Training Ponderosa West
Inside the studio, that philosophy becomes reality.
“Owning and leading a studio allows me to create an environment where women feel safe to take up space, lift heavy, sweat hard, and build confidence that carries into their homes, careers, and relationships.”
And sometimes leadership simply means showing others what’s possible.
“My favorite part of being a female leader in the fitness industry is showing that strength has no gender”… “I love guiding others to realize that movement isn’t punishment, it’s power.” – Marta Burriel, F45 Training Aribau
Celebrating Everyday Strength
Celebrating the strong women in our community today and everyday, isn’t just about recognizing leaders — it’s about honoring the everyday strength that exists within us all.
One member shared the story of a friend whose perseverance continues to inspire those around her.
“International Women’s Day matters to me because it reminds me to honor the women who show real strength in everyday life. I’m nominating my sweet friend Zaida… She’s walked through loss, trauma, anxiety, and health challenges, yet she shows up with honesty and heart.” – Priscylla Nascimento, F45 Training Stafford VA
Her story captures something powerful about fitness communities.
“She pushes through hard workouts, takes care of her body, sets goals, and keeps choosing growth even on tough days. Watching her rebuild her strength has inspired me in my own. Zaida represents what this day means to me.”
Because sometimes the strongest thing a person can do is simply show up.
The Future of Fitness Is Human
Technology will continue to shape the fitness industry. Wearables will get smarter. AI will continue to personalize training. Data will become even more sophisticated.
But the future of fitness won’t be defined by technology alone. It will be defined by community. By the coach who believes in you before you believe in yourself. By the classmate who pushes you through your last rep. By the shared energy of a room full of people working toward something better.
That kind of connection can’t be downloaded. It can’t be automated. And it can’t be replaced.
This International Women’s Day and everyday, we celebrate the women who lead, uplift, and strengthen the communities that make F45 Training what it is.
Because when people come together to move, support one another, and grow stronger side by side, something powerful happens. We don’t just build stronger bodies. We build stronger humans.
To learn more about our F45 community in action, connect with us on social.
Sources:
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11403199/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4144026/
