A 36-year-old woman in the UK has caused a stir online after revealing that her gym has started banning women over the age of 24 from working out during certain hours. The woman anonymously detailed her story on the "Am I Being Unreasonable?" forum on the UK-based community site Mumsnet.com, a platform where women can seek advice about a variety of topics. She shared that she had recently received an email from her gym informing her of a policy change.
In her post titled 'Am I being unreasonable to think this is unfair?', the 36-year-old shared a screenshot of the message, which stated that the gym would be "reserved exclusively for females aged 12 to 24" from 4 pm to 7 pm 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 text continued.
"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," it added.
The woman mentioned that one of her main reasons for joining the gym was that it offered "ladies' hours" from 9 am to 7 pm on weekdays. But after the policy change, the woman said she would be cancelling her membership as the gym no longer fits her schedule. "But this is ridiculous, right?" she asked at the end of her post.
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Internet users were quick to react to the post. Several users agreed with her, saying that she had every right to feel outraged by the new policy. "That's absolutely ridiculous! Why women of a certain age!? I'd feel furious, OP," said one person, per People.
"That's wild," said someone else, adding, "Once a week, fine. One hour a day (outside of peak times), fine. Three hours every weekday is mental. I'd cancel, too."
Some users were also confused about the rationale behind the policy change. "I wonder if they're trying to attract the influencer-type crowd for some free marketing," one user wrote.
"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," suggested another.
"Is it because that age group can't exercise at the same time as men without being hit on?" asked one user.
