Is it time we have all-women gyms?
A few weeks ago, actress, realtor, and content creator Christine Li posted a simple thought on her Threads account: can a certain 24-hour gym chain consider putting up a women-only branch?
That’s it. That, as the kids of my age used to say, is the tweet (well, Thread). There wasn’t even a straight up demand—it was a kind, polite request to even just consider the thought.
The reactions came swift, and the post became a moderate amount of viral; not the craziest numbers, but enough to drift onto my own For You feed on Threads. Men were mad—for reasons that can only really be construed as sadness and offense because they won’t get to see good-looking women wearing figure-hugging gymwear, should the idea come to fruition.
“We thought you wanted equality?” they ask. “Why are you now demanding special treatment?”
Meanwhile, the women were understandably and obviously supportive. One woman even recounted her own experiences with being stalked by a guy in the gym of the same chain Li goes to. Others have quickly pointed out that the bizarre overreactions from the guys was just proving Li’s point.
Give the women what they want
So here I am, as a guy with some column space on this newspaper: Li’s right. If the women need a women-exclusive branch of that gym to work out in peace, let them have it. For the women who are just fine working out in regular branches, they still get to do that.
A friend has personally recounted to me that the reason she doesn’t work out in commercial gyms is because she felt she was being ogled and sexualized. And as someone who wants all my friends to be lifting or at least working out in some form, that doesn’t sit right with me.
The women who ask for and champion this very clearly just want to be left alone. It’s because many dudes can’t keep their eyes and audacity to themselves, thinking that their attention is wanted just because they’ve maxed out their physiques.
In 2021, a survey by Women’s Running UK found that 69 percent of women don’t feel safe or comfortable when receiving unwanted attention from men while working out, and 76 percent report feeling like men were regularly staring at them creepily. Although this study was done in another country, it’s clear that the experience is universal.
In fact, a different survey by American corporate wellness platform WellHub found that 65 percent of women would feel comfortable attending a women-only gym. That’s how bad the problem is.
Start acting right
Any claim from offended guys of women “ragebaiting” or “seeking special treatment” with these asks is simply masking their need to ogle attractive ladies in the gym. As another woman in Li’s post points out, if you’re secure in your masculinity and are actually in the gym to lock in and work, this suggestion wouldn’t set you off the way it has for so many guys on Threads. Basically, the real issues women have shouldn’t sit right with you. And feeling another type of way about it is quite telling.
Plus, I actually have a second reason why I support a women-only gym: there are too many people, even at late hours. As much as I am pro-women’s safety, I am also very pro-fewer people in the gym. Anything that frees up room in there and keeps me from having to wander around, figuring out which machine I can use, is a great idea to me.
So let the ladies have their own branch. This isn’t even a new idea, as some franchises abroad have already long adopted the women-only model to some success. If you have a real problem with it, start acting right. Tell your boys to act right, and maybe the women won’t be so scared to lift beside you.
