Gym Harassment
This morning, I walked into the gym at 5:15 AM to get a short workout in before work. This is a normal practice of mine. I like working out in the morning for a few reasons: my days are long and my to do list gets longer by the end of them, I refuse to take two showers a day so if I do anything with friends after an afternoon workout I do so smelly, and – most of all – I like morning workouts because the gym is virtually empty and I can workout unbothered and get the equipment I want. I particularly like the unbothered part, as I am small and look much younger than I am and the young men who work out there like to stop my workout to tell me what I’m doing wrong. Which, as you can imagine, is particularly annoying.
So I walk in at 5:15 this morning, go to a treadmill, and yawn. It is, after all, 5:15 IN THE MORNING. I hear a man yelling in a deep, bellowing voice: “WAKE UP! WAKE UP!” I sort of turn around because, seriously, it’s 5:15 in the morning and why is this guy yelling? And I see he is staring and pointing right at me.
Ok. I don’t know this guy and he’s yelling and pointing and standing with a friend – also male, laughing like this is funny or something – and people are starting to look around to see what’s up. It was uncomfortable and awkward and wholly unnecessary. I should have said something sarcastic and mean but, as it was 5:15 IN THE MORNING, I was tired and angry and just put my headphones in and started my jog. I would have informed the staff but they are no better, especially the guys that work the early shift. They just think this stuff is hilarious.
I don’t think this is funny. At all. I am absolutely fed up with being harassed at the gym. I pay just as much for my membership here, and I should be respected as such. Or, you know, I should be respected there as a person, but lately that’s seeming like too much to ask.
Cross posted at my Tumblr
Gyms are all about profit and the bottom line. You ought to take some time to sit down and speak seriously and confidently with one of the staff members one-on-one about the harassment. Then, get them where it hurts: claim that it’s making you and other women want to leave their gym for (competitor name), where you’ve heard that they actually take this sort of thing seriously.
And THEN they’ll bend over backwards trying to help.
That is a great idea. I’m absolutely doing this today! Thanks!
I don’t know where you work out, but I work out at the YWCA. They post signs all over about reporting incidents that make the gym atmosphere uncomfortable and that they do look into reported harassment. The YWCA is all about empowering girls and women so it makes me feel like if something ever did happen, it would be taken seriously.
Maybe you should see if there’s one in your town.
Yea, my gym is definitely not a woman-friendly gym. It’s just sort of open to everyone and the staff is very hands-off when it comes to anything going on. I am going to switch gyms when I move in July, but until then, I’m sort of stuck here. Thanks for the tip, though!
I hope you feel better now that you got that out! I remember being harassed when I was small and young … ahhh, those were the days. (Just kidding, totally.) I now work out at the university gym and because I am old and no longer small, the college guys just look at me like one of the old ladies. But this bothered me a lot when I was younger. You should definitely tell the manager and/or change to a more female-friendly gym.
I am going to both see the manager and change to a more female-friendly gym. This place is so un-female-friendly, they have guys cleaning the women’s locker room during peak gym hours on a regular basis. Is it just me, or should that never happen?
That’s absolute bullshit. They could easily hire female cleaning staff, like my gym does. I’ve NEVER seen a man in my gym’s ladies’ locker room, except when the sauna broke and they needed a male technician. Even then, they made sure to notify everyone in advance about a guy being there, and apologized.
I agree! And I’ve complained about that numerous times, but to no avail. This place sucks.
What gym to you go to? I’m having a similar issue, but it is a smaller chain.
This has happened frequently at several places. I think it’s a problem with gym culture, not just the gym itself.
Even for guys this is a problem these days, a lot never gets reported due to the nature of the incidents where there is more than one individual harassing a member or members. Like you said the gym staff find the stuff funny and even the individual sticking up for themselves will do no good if you plan to keep going the the gym. It sucks I’ve experienced this so i’ve signed up for a more premium gym hoping there is better clients and staff. It is the minority of people but you should be able to work out in piece.