The unhappy gym goer detailed the situation in a post on Mumsnet
There are a number of women-only gyms across the UK(Image: Copyright by Franziska & Tom Werner)
A gym in the UK has caused quite the stir after banning women above the age of 24 from working out during certain hours. It comes after a woman detailed her frustrations on the ‘Am I Being Unreasonable’ forum on Mumsnet.
In her post, she shared an email she recently received which informed her of the policy change. The facility, which remains unnamed at the time of writing, stated that the gym would be “reserved exclusively for females aged 12 to 24” from 4pm to 7pm Monday to Friday.
“This update has been made in response to feedback and to better cater to our younger female members who require a dedicated, comfortable space during peak after-school and early evening hours,” the message continued.
The poster prefered to use the gym during set hours(Image: Getty Images)
“Please note that outside of these hours, our Ladies Gym will continue to be available for all female members as usual. We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to improve the experience for all our members.”
The woman explained that one of her main reasons for joining the gym had been it offering ‘ladies hours’ from 9am to 7pm on weekdays. But after the policy change, she revealed she’d decided to cancel her membership as it no longer fits her schedule – “This is ridiculous, right?” she asked at the end of the post.
It didn’t take long for the post to attract plenty of interest and a host of different opinions on the matter. One user, for instance, agreed that the woman has every right to feel outraged about the change, writing: “That’s absolutely ridiculous! Why women of a certain age!? I’d feel furious.”
The gym in question is said to have wanted to create a daily safe space for young women(Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, another added: “That’s wild. Once a week is fine, one hour a day – outside of peak times – fine. Three hours every weekday is mental. I’d cancel, too.”
“I wonder if they’re trying to attract the influencer-type crowd for some free marketing,” speculated one while a further continued: “I suspect there is some insufferable person in charge who wants a young, hip and happening vibe, so isn’t bothered about losing boring old middle-aged women.”
One user asked: “Is it because that age group can’t exercise at the same time as men without being hit on?” How would you react to a similar decision at your local gym? Let The Mirror know in the comments.