"Only Women Under 24 Allowed on Weekday Afternoons"... UK Gym's New Policy Sparks Debate

Controversy Over New Gym Policy in UK Community
Only Women Aged 24 and Under Allowed from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Gym Says, "For Young Women Who Need a Comfortable Space"

A gym in the United Kingdom has sparked controversy after changing its policy to allow only women aged 24 and under to use the facility during certain hours on weekdays.

Gym. Pixabay

According to People magazine in the United States on the 2nd (local time), a woman in her 30s, referred to as Ms. A, posted on a UK online community expressing her dissatisfaction that her gym only permits women aged 24 and under to use the facility during specific hours, which she felt was unfair to her.

Ms. A said she recently received an email from the gym notifying her of the policy change. The gym announced in the email, "We have established a time slot during which only women aged 12 to 24 can use the gym," and added, "This will apply every Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m."

The gym explained that this measure was intended "to provide a more comfortable space for young female members who need it after school and in the early evening hours."

Ms. A said, "The main reason I joined this gym was because there was a 'women-only time slot' from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays," and added, "Now that the available hours no longer suit me, I will cancel my membership, but isn’t this just ridiculous?" she said angrily.

Readers who saw the post expressed sympathy for Ms. A's complaint. One user commented, "This is completely unreasonable," and asked, "Why are women above a certain age excluded? I would be angry too." Another user wrote, "This truly doesn't make sense. I could understand if it was once a week, but three hours every day is too much. I probably would have canceled my membership as well."

On the other hand, some felt the gym's decision had merit. One user pointed out, "Teenage girls are a group at high risk of discontinuing exercise," and explained, "Just as there are women-only gyms, the purpose here is to provide a space dedicated to them."