Kids in Gyms...

[LadyPenelopeShufflebottom]

I was at the gym last night chuffing away on the treadmill when a small child (she was about 9, 10 possibly?) jumped up on the treadmill next to me and just stood there for ages, not running/ walking with the treadmill turned off. Then her (i presume) Mum signals at me to take my headphones out, so I did and she asks me to turn on her daughters treadmill for her . I stopped running, leaned over and obliged. Small child commences turning treadmill up faster and faster and faster.

Small child has bitten off more than she can chew and turned the treadmill up too high, and cant work out how to slow it down quickly enough/ cant reach the controls because she's so far back on the belt. She's clearly struggling and looked as if she was about to fly off the end so I reach over and whacked the emergency stop for her. Treadmill slows and stops, crisis averted so I look around and can't see her Mum anywhere.

Anyway, it appears small child had learned her lesson because she then commenced walking at a brisk pace and didn't turn the treadmill up again but at this point I'd totally lost my breathing and pace so had to stop. I was also sick of babysitting so got off and went home. On my way out, I ran into her Mum sitting in the cafe

AIBU to think the gym is not really the place for kids especially unsupervised? On a wider note, if it normal now for 10 year olds to go to the gym instead of doing sporty outside activities?

dont have kids you can probably tell so I'm a bit out of touch, AIBU?

Most gyms, at least none that I know of allow under 16s. You should have alerted a member of staff. If the child hurt themselves the gym would have had to be responsible.
Actually I would complain about a gym where no member of staff noticed someone in difficulty on a treadmill. The child was obviously there for a period of time.

She was messing about with the controls about 10 minutes before she started getting into trouble. Gym memberships at my gym are for 8 years and older, but all under 16's have to be accompanied by an adult at all times according to their handbook. There was no trainers on the floor as it was after 6pm (also in the handbook) and the reception desk is out of view of the gym, so no supervision from the gym at all :/

What a cheeky cow. I can't believe you obliged her request and she f'd off to the cafe!
If you seeher again ignore her. Poor child.

If she can't operate it herself, she needs an adult there. I would have refused to turn it on.

How cheeky of the mother!
I'd have replied 'sure, I've got 15 mins left of this run and I'll do it after that'
Making you stop mid-run!

It's probably worth mentioning to the reception staff. If the child had flown off the back and crashed into a wall or some other equipment, there would be complaints and investigations all round...

Report it to staff - their insurance is at risk. There was an accident at my gym with a kid running too fast without the safety clip attached so when they flew off backwards, the treadmill was still running against their face. very nasty.

This is what I thought, but the cafe is in full view of the reception desk so surely they had clocked the mum in the cafe and must have known the daughter was therefore in the gym alone? There is a pool attached to the gym so it's possible they thought the girl was swimming maybe?

I've not seen them there before and I've been going a while, so it might be that they are new to the gym on the whole and aren't aware of the dangers/ etiquette?

They clearly weren't aware that interrupting a run is akin to pissing on ones chips so I'm guessing someone needs to have a word.

Our gym has a special "kids hour" on Thursday evenings where they do a training session (mostly free weights and not machines) with kids and you get that for free with childrens memberships, so maybe she's been to that and fancied a go on the treadmills or something and the Mum has brought her along and assumed she does it in the kids sessions and knows what she's doing?

Our gym lets 11-15 yo in for an hour in the evenings. Since my DS is 10 and looks 13, this child may have been over 11.
However, they have to have 2 introductory sessions with a PT and I have to supervise him.

He's going through a podgy stage at the moment, so I'm keen for him to do as much exercise as possible (on top of the rugby, judo, swimming, fencing, cricket and hockey he already does),

That's ridiculous! Exactly when my gym is over 16. Completely irresponsible of the parent to not be working out together if the child was allowed to be there. Was there no staff about to see this?

Sorry x posted!

I work in a gym. Next time go to reception and tell them and they'll get he child out

Surely it should be no unaccompanied under 16 year olds? Never been in a gym with children that little on machines. We do have a children's school session at my gym but always supervised by at least 3 teachers and all the kids are secondary school age. Were no gym instructors present? We always have at least one keeping an eye on the gym.

My gym has a seperate children's gym with a hyperactive instructor, you have to be over 15 to use the adults gym

At my gym you have to be at least 12 and you have to have had a gym induction and prove you can use the equipment safely.

This feels like a sensible approach.