This 25-year-old woman and her 27-year-old boyfriend, Ben, were dating for three months.
Yet, out of nowhere, her boyfriend started to get upset about her going to a regular, co-ed gym. Apparently, Ben started claiming that it was “normal” for women in relationships to work out at all-women gyms.
“To avoid attention from other men and to make their partners feel more secure,” she explained.
She also learned how, during her boyfriend’s last relationship, his ex-girlfriend actually swapped from a regular gym to an all-women gym after they started dating!
However, she’s been going to her current gym for around a year now, and she is already accustomed to her routine. She also has a supportive group of workout buddies and feels really comfortable at her co-ed gym.
Perhaps most importantly, though, the idea of changing gyms simply to make her boyfriend feel better seems unnecessary and raises a red flag for her.
“I believe trust and respect are crucial in a relationship, and this feels like a lack of trust on his part,” she said.
So, she tried to open up about her feelings and explain her perspective to her boyfriend. Yet, he didn’t understand her view and just kept insisting that his request was “reasonable.”
On top of that, her boyfriend even called her inconsiderate of his feelings!
Bojan – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
This stalemate pushed her to seriously reassess their relationship, and after some more conversations, they ultimately decided to break up.
“I feel the relationship won’t be healthy, and he thinks he needs to work on himself before being in a relationship,” she admitted.
Thankfully, her boyfriend was actually pretty accepting of her criticism, and she was “pleasantly surprised.”
Now, she’s ready to move on, spend more time in her regular gym, and hopes the whole situation will help her boyfriend become a better partner in future relationships.
Do you think people in relationships shouldn’t be allowed to work out at co-ed gyms? Or do you agree that her boyfriend’s request was toxic? How would you have handled this situation in her shoes?
You can read the original post on Reddit here.
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