Junior Angelina Thomas started attending Blush Fitness, an all-female gym in Overland Park, Kan., last summer. She said the community within the gym’s walls supports all patrons.

“A lot of the girls are really supportive. The trainers are so kind and courteous and will give you tips,” Thomas said. 

Senior Lillian Li, who has attended the gym since August of 2021, agreed with Thomas, saying the gym provides a peaceful space for females to work out — without worrying about others judging. 

“It just feels like a more tranquil environment where we all understand we are here to get better and support each other,” Li said. 

Another aspect of attending this gym, according to Thomas, is the safety it provides.

“[Blush Fitness] makes me feel comfortable. I do not have to worry about being looked at by guys,” Thomas said. 

Providing a comfortable, clean and aesthetically pleasing environment was one of Blush Fitness owner Kelly Gellert’s main priorities when founding the gym five years ago. 

“We realized there were not any all-women gyms in the Kansas City area… so we thought it would be an excellent opportunity and great for women to have their own place to go work out,” Gellert said.

Adding to this point, Gellert said she found it important to create a place for women to enjoy working out.

“I wanted to create a space where you are comfortable when you go there and you enjoy being a woman, because you should,” Gellert said. 

Since founding Blush Fitness, Gellert and her husband, Maxwell Gellert, have created Blush Bootcamp, a boot camp studio. Gellert owns four Blush Bootcamp locations and said there are 25 people interested in franchising. 

Blush Fitness, according to Gellert, has a variety of workout equipment for patrons to use. The gym also has several workout classes, such as yoga and dance classes.

As for what she thinks makes Blush Fitness so special, Gellert said it is the community within the gym, starting with the people that work there. 

“The people that work there are genuinely nice, kind people [and] they have a passion for fitness,” Gellert said. 

Li agreed with Gellert’s point and added that the gym provides her with a sense of calmness she would not feel going to another gym. 

“[My favorite part of Blush Fitness] is the non-busyness of it and there is less pressure there than I would get from going to a normal gym,” Li said. 

Both Li, Thomas and Gellert said they would recommend other women attend this gym. They said the variety of workouts available, the cheapness of the memberships and the supportive community the gym provides makes it a great place for women. 

“We literally put our blood, sweat and tears into that place, and [we] just want[ed] it to be not only top equipment, [but we also] wanted it to be a comfortable space that women deserve,” Gellert said. “You should get the best experience possible, and that is exactly what we wanted to give to them.”