The Recreational Physical Activities of Spanish Women: A Sociological Study of Exercising for Fitness

Abstract

The accelerated process of social change which has been taking place in Spain over the past 15 years has also been reflected in the recreational physical activities of Spanish women. In addition to spending progressively more free time on sports, Spaniards have undergone the same change as other Western societies regarding their outlook towards their bodies, health, free time and recreational physical activities. In this article we see how the influence of these changes, in conjunction with such vestiges of tradition as sexual inequality and still-existing stereotypes connected with the sports world, has restricted the practice of physical fitness exercises mainly to women. Although open to accusations of creating a feminine "ghetto", these physical activities have provided a new recreational model in keeping with the values of present-day society.