AIBU to think 14 & 15 year olds should be allowed in the gym

[chewable24]

Our local council run leisure centre has just decided that 14 & 15 years old can no longer use the gym after 5pm despite their having purchased annual membership for use in the evenings. DD is not at school locally so cannot get to the local gym by 5pm. She is really disappointed. They say it is for insurance/liability reasons. I cannot understand why it is more of a risk after 5pm. Just wondered what other councils do and if there are valid reasons for this.

There are other times they can use it too of course....but I guess it's also because they pay less than adults and the gym are trying to spread out when people come

I'm not sure that comparing to other gyms that have post-5pm slots for teens will help actually thinking about it because the gyms will have different staffing rotas and it might be that there are more trainers on the floor in one gym at a particular time than another. If there really is a requirement for supervision.

11-13 year olds can use my gym (Carmarthenshire council run gyms) provided they're with an adult. After that they can use the gym on their own. No age/time restrictions that I can find on the website.

Might be worth googling then emailing as many councils as you can and asking them?

If you have paid an annual membership or you are in a contract you can argue these changes and at least get out the contract or get a part refund.

I know my local council run gym too under 16s at 5pm but it's been that way since it has opened and is partly due to over selling memberships, busy times, peak spenders don't want kids in there hogging machines, etc. But also from a business perspective it drives customers in in the 3-5pm slot which is generally I quiet time in gyms.

I don't agree with it tbh as I'd love to workout with my son.

Local council gym that I go to allows under 16s with an adult during operating hours (6am-10pm)

Thanks. Sorry should have said they will allow under 16s with a paid adult member under the new change but that doesn't work for us as I have younger kids to look after who are too young to come.

Surely with the focus around healthy eating and obesity we should be encouraging teenagers to go to the gym? Rather than banning them from doing so?

Also you’ve paid for a membership which included evenings- surely they can’t just change that without releasing you from the contract and refunding any monies owed as the gym is now no longer fit for purpose- the purpose was to go to the gym after school and exercise and honestly 90 mins from leaving school to get there get changed do a session shower and leave isn’t long enough even if your dd went to school close by.

Pure gym in Banbury doesn't take under 16's to a previous post.
I've just joined one in Daventry ( everyone active) and my 12yr old is allowed in anytime with me. They have after school sessions,I think 3.45 to 5.30 where kids can go without a parent and they are supervised.

Under 16teens aren't allowed to use the gym unless it's with adult supervision. At meat where I go...

But your dd purchased a card of a service that is now no longer available. She needs to get a refund or be allowed to use the card as was originally intended. At least imo.

I'm not sure what the time limits are for juniors at our gym but they are allowed to use majority of machines from age 12 after an induction. They certainly can go any time sat/sun and school holidays but I'm not sure in general week days.

Our gym allows 11-15 year olds from 3.45pm weekdays until 8.45pm and all day at the weekend. That's the leisure centres in asfield district who are run by everyone active.
I have no problem with the older ages of that age scale but I notice the parents who bring the ones closer to 11 leave the kids to it and they just mess about which gets a bit annoying 14-15 is a good age range for gyms I think x

Our leisure centre allows juniors in at anytime, but they have a rule in T&C to say junior members must give up equipment to full paying members if asked. Junior members must complete a 6 week induction course where they are taught to use the equipment and gym etiquette for 2nd class junior members including it not hanging around in groups near equipment.

Ds moved to a private gym, costs a bit more but a much better environment.

Broken Wing do you mind sending me PM for the name of the gym as that type of induction course sounds perfect suggestion. thanks.

If they’ve made a change then there will be a reason for it

Round here they recently banned under 16s being unaccompanied because there was too many teens being silly and a couple got injured. They had the choice of upping staff levels or capping when teens can go and they opted for the latter

Having worked in council leisure facilities for many years, it’s likely due to staffing. Insurance probably won’t cover under 16s without a member of staff with the correct REPS qualification. You might find that the gym is only covered by a level 2 gym instructor in the evenings.

(Where I worked -many moons ago- junior gym for 12-15 year olds was 3.30-5.30 weekdays and 12-4 weekends or thereabouts)

My local council gym let’s in 14-15 year olds unaccompanied until 5pm, and accompanied until 7.30pm.

Personally I find these restrictions highly inconvenient. Ds can’t really go before 5, as his school is 45 mins away and he gets in at 4.30.

I don’t mind taking him to the gym in the evening whilst I go, but we eat about 5.15, and going early enough to be finished by 7.30 is just too soon after eating.

Sometimes I don’t think that the powers that be think these things through.

to be honest OP I'm surprised that your council has only just introduced this. Every council-run gym I've attended (in three counties) has had this rule, or similar restricted times, since I started going to the gym under 16, 15 years ago. My understanding is that the gym has a staff member always present during junior sessions, which explains the 'liability' part.

I'm sorry it's not great for your daughter but it seems reasonably fair to me to restrict the times under 16s can go - if it's council run they are not going to have unlimited money to have a dedicated member of staff present all the time. They've made further provision by allowing them to go any time if an adult is present - I'm not sure how much more you can reasonably expect?

IWorkAtTheCheescakeFactory children are not fully paid up members though? They pay less than half adult price. In all gyms I have been to, they offer cheaper memberships at off-peak times for adults, isn't this the same thing rather than discrimination against under 16s?

Bit of a drip feed there OP.....so now they are allowed after 5pm but need to be with an adult?
I don't think there is anything wrong with this policy personally

That's quite a drip feed.

It's fairly standard to expect minors to he supervised by adults.

My 9 year old comes to the gym with me and is not restricted by times. It's standard isn't it that juniors must be accompanied by an adult?

Our gym has set hours that under 16s are allowed, unless accompanied by an adult.

I was going to agree with you that a blanket ban after 5pm is harsh, but they can go after 5pm, just not unaccompanied. That seems pretty standard, although it's unfortunate that it doesn't match your circumstances... could DD go to a gym closer to school?

It's quite entertaining watching young people at my club! It's quite clear that it is a big flirting ground, with the girls coming with their latest branded kit, showing as much of their nice bodies as possible, hair lose, floating behind them and the boys who pretend they are totally oblivious to their presence, totally absorbed in their work out.

The issue is that the girls then sit on the apparatus as close to the good looking boy flexing his muscles, but will hardly do any of the exercise, except the few seconds he might look in that direction. When it gets busy, it gets quite frustrating not to be able to use these apparatus.

Saying, that scene does provide some entertainment to what is otherwise a very boring work out!

Our council (Merton) gym, run by Better, has a junior training slot from 16:00 to 18:00 each weekday where after an induction, 11-15 year olds can use the gym. I don't know any more than that, sorry.