Harvard bans men from gym during designated hours

[Jason-Sasha 1]

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

Can we have a few men-only institutions too?

Would that be ok?

We do. Its called submarine service in the U.S. Navy.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

Can we have a few men-only institutions too?

Would that be ok?

We do. Its called submarine service in the U.S. Navy.

I'd like a few more options. You know, for girlie men like myself.

[Peikko 1,575]

In all fairness, they probably want to uncover when they work out, which is why they need to be around only other women.

Why? Who works out naked, or even almost naked? Most people I see in the gym are fairly covered up and there are all kinds of long leotards made of these new fabrics that don't make you feel uncomfortable or let you get over heated. The only exception is in the pool and even then there are these all over swim suits, developed to reduce friction caused by body hair no less!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

Can we have a few men-only institutions too?

Would that be ok?

We do. Its called submarine service in the U.S. Navy.

I'd like a few more options. You know, for girlie men like myself.

They know a place you can go...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

I've seen guys trying to pick up women down my gym - its pretty seedy. That and the guys who feel the need to make exaggerated grunting noises when they're working out.

[Alex+R 0]

In all fairness, they probably want to uncover when they work out, which is why they need to be around only other women.

Why? Who works out naked, or even almost naked? Most people I see in the gym are fairly covered up and there are all kinds of long leotards made of these new fabrics that don't make you feel uncomfortable or let you get over heated. The only exception is in the pool and even then there are these all over swim suits, developed to reduce friction caused by body hair no less!

Mm what are you talking about? Who covers from neck to wrist to ankle at the gym? You'd die of heat unless you had the money for special fabrics.

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

I've seen guys trying to pick up women down my gym - its pretty seedy. That and the guys who feel the need to make exaggerated grunting noises when they're working out.

I saw that all the time in college. Where is the vomit smiley when I need one?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Have you seen those people wearing those sauna suits? Its basically a bin liner.

In all fairness, they probably want to uncover when they work out, which is why they need to be around only other women.

Why? Who works out naked, or even almost naked? Most people I see in the gym are fairly covered up and there are all kinds of long leotards made of these new fabrics that don't make you feel uncomfortable or let you get over heated. The only exception is in the pool and even then there are these all over swim suits, developed to reduce friction caused by body hair no less!

Mm what are you talking about? Who covers from neck to wrist to ankle at the gym? You'd die of heat unless you had the money for special fabrics.

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

I've seen guys trying to pick up women down my gym - its pretty seedy. That and the guys who feel the need to make exaggerated grunting noises when they're working out.

I saw that all the time in college. Where is the vomit smiley when I need one?

Reminds me of that "tickets to the gun show" scene in Anchorman.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

I've seen guys trying to pick up women down my gym - its pretty seedy. That and the guys who feel the need to make exaggerated grunting noises when they're working out.

Oh, the grunting! There's a rule against it in my gym but of course it's not very well adhered to.

That and the hogging of free weights is why I'm fond of the ladies-only room in my gym.

[Caladan 19]

I am all for accommodating people who have disabilities or other things that aren't their fault that keep them from enjoying things others enjoy.

If you want to believe some man in the sky is telling you to do something, that's your problem. This is a secular country (or should be). I don't want Christians accommodated either, by the way.

However, I am for women-only gyms/gym areas because women really need to have the option to work out away from men. We have a million reasons to want that.

Totally agree. Your belief, your problem. Keep everyone else out of it. Work out at home in your totally covered body. If these women were using the gym while nude, it would be a different story. but if they are covered like traditional Muslim women, who do they think will bother with them? Oh no, can't allow men to see us wearing a scuba suit and using a stair master! that would be sooo horrible.

It's probably more like they'd like to workout in shorts and a t-shirt like other women rather than have to wear an extra layer while on the treadmill. (If you think it through rather than assuming the covering is all the clothes they wear.) Still, a girl I knew as an undergrad just wore a long-sleeved t-shirt and running pants with her scarf while working out.

I'm wondering about Harvard's set-up. At my undergraduate institution, there were three different gyms so restricting one area for a couple hours a week wouldn't be a big deal. At my current institution, the gym is this nine-floor monstrosity and there'd be no way to ban it from men for two hours without inconveniencing hundreds. But! most of the dorms have their own small, but well-equipped gym which would be easy to make single-sex for a couple hours.

I generally think with stuff like this it depends on numbers, and how restrictive it is to the larger community.

[Zee Bee 61]

Wow

So let me prempt this by saying that I am a Muslim woman and I wear the "headgear" as someone put it. Just thought I would put in my $0.02.

I read the article and I had mixed feelings.

Someone mentioned Curves and other women's only gyms. My first thought was "why not just make one area of the gym women only?" I think what Harvard did was a little much. I workout at a coed gym, and I do it covered (at least what I consider covered). I could give a rat's @$$ who was looking at me and what not. And while I may have taken advantage of the women's only hours, it would not dictate whether I went to the gym or not.

That said, if these women felt, by religion or culture or what have you, that they wanted the privacy to work out, I am sure there are no shortage of women's only facilities.

If Harvard had decided not to accomodate these women, I bet you, CAIR would have been all over that, claiming anti-Muslim blah blah stuff.

[DeadPoolX 9]

Maybe I don't quite understand this, but how can you expect to go to a public gym (which is what a university-operated gym effectively is for all students) and then expect to have the added benefit of privacy? It doesn't work that way. If you want to work out while making sure no one looks at you "funny" then do it in your home -- get a treadmill, a set of weights, or a bowflex. Something that allows you to exercise in the privacy you so desire, without stepping on the toes of others.

What next? People wanting shopping malls closed to the public for private shopping sprees so they can buy whatever they want without anyone else passing judgment on their purchases?

[Jenn! 918]

I guess for me it makes a difference that this is on a university campus. This is these kids' home. You want them to put a bowflex in their dorm room?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Maybe I don't quite understand this, but how can you expect to go to a public gym (which is what a university-operated gym effectively is for all students) and then expect to have the added benefit of privacy? It doesn't work that way. If you want to work out while making sure no one looks at you "funny" then do it in your home -- get a treadmill, a set of weights, or a bowflex. Something that allows you to exercise in the privacy you so desire, without stepping on the toes of others.

What next? People wanting shopping malls closed to the public for private shopping sprees so they can buy whatever they want without anyone else passing judgment on their purchases?

Believe it or not that has already happened. Also in big department stores, like Macy's and Bloomingdales - they actually have "personal shopper" services for uber-rich folks, where the associate picks a whole bunch of stuff off the racks so that their customer doesn't have to deal with the riff-raff.

[Nessa 23]

thats absurdly ridiculous. Why do they need to work out, anyway if their bodies are always completely covered.

[Jenn! 918]

I found this in the full text of the article:

The policy only applies to one gym, a facility mainly used for intramurals. Because of its location at the edge of campus, it is the university's least used gym, Mitchell said.

Really...what's the big deal?

thats absurdly ridiculous. Why do they need to work out, anyway if their bodies are always completely covered.

They say there are health benefits to exercise.