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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband’s gym habit making me ill.

622 replies

RubyRedEye · 09/10/2024 11:13

My husband has been getting up early to go to the gym. He likes that it’s empty and he hasn’t got to wait to use any of the machines.

The problem is that he is getting up at 4.30am.

He tries to be really quiet, but inevitably he is waking me up.

I really struggle to go back to sleep and I’m working full time as a teacher. I’m exhausted. I am also getting dreadful headaches throughout the day, because I’m so tired. I can barely concentrate.

His solution is that he sleeps in the living room. So that’s it? No more sleeping in the same bed. That’s really not what I wanted from a marriage. The idea makes me feel really sad and disconnected from him.

I asked him to go at a different time, but he also goes to the gym from 8-10pm every day, so unless he goes 6-10pm, there’s no other option. He works full time too.

I feel upset that there’s no compromise. He’s all about his health, his fitness, his wellbeing. Whilst mine is going down the pan. He might be able to function on 5 hours sleep a night, but I can’t.

Who is being unreasonable.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
Imbusytodaysorry · 09/10/2024 17:57

RubyRedEye · 09/10/2024 14:53

The facts are;

Im exhausted because I’m woken up daily at 4.30am.

My husband has offered to sleep separately.

I don’t see this as a long term solution.

I believe that he could afford to cut his hours at the gym down by half; and stick to going in the evening.

I’m not asking him not to go at all.

I’m not accusing him, or trying to be difficult.

I just want my marriage to stay as it was and for him to calm the gym down. Eating tea together would be nice too, but I didn’t want to push too much.

I don’t know what using my kids beds have to do with it. I don’t want a marriage where we have separate beds. As lovely as it is for some, that’s not for me, as silly as you think my reasons are.

It looks like in order to feel physically well I’ll have to, but that feels sad to me.

I agree and don’t see why a married person needs to sleep alone when sleeping together is the norm .
He can have the kids room it’s only for a few weeks then take it from there .

Id also be asking he compromises to just the evening sessions at the gym so he can take care of his marriage .

You aren’t asking too much @RubyRedEye

Rizzla · 09/10/2024 18:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

You’re cruel.

ScrollingLeaves · 09/10/2024 18:01

From what you have said it sounds as though his present gym regime is all because of the upcoming event. When it is over he will not need to go so much.

So why not take him up on the sofa offer but with the compromise that he comes back to bed at the weekends and at half term ( when you can sleep in after going back to sleep)?

Probablygreen · 09/10/2024 18:04

Oh wow you’re getting some really odd responses here I think!
OP hasn’t said anything at all nasty or offensive, so why are people taking this so personally? God forbid you like spending time with the person you claim to love!
I get you. My DH works away a few nights a week and I sleep perfectly well, but if he’s home and gets up for whatever reason, or even if one of the kids gets up to go to the toilet, I’m awake, and I find it really difficult to get back to sleep.
(My DH also has phases of doing things like eating beans and bananas for a year - are you me OP?!) Men are weird.
I don’t think it’s too much to ask that he only goes to the gym on an evening, or at least goes later on a morning so he doesn’t wake you up. The rest is irrelevant.

TillyKister · 09/10/2024 18:09

OP I think you're being taken for a mug.

This sudden need to be fit looking and looking better in suits etc... Are you sure he's not having an affair with someone at work?

The going to the Gym twice a day? The offer to sleep on the sofa?

These things are not normal in a healthy, happy relationship.

They are excuses and times to be away from you!

As you say he's falling asleep in the time he is actually supposed to be spending with you. You're getting very little of his time and attention.

He'd be best of buying bigger suits, and saving his marriage.

RubyRedEye · 09/10/2024 18:14

PeggyMitchellsCameo · 09/10/2024 17:16

Just spoken to a friend’s DH who is PT to professional athletes - won’t say which sport.
He says:

  1. anyone doing intensive training is a professional and is usually prepping for an event. They will be doing so supervised and every part of their body is known and assessed. They will be provided with food to match the training. This is at the highest level where there are also pro physios, doctors, surgeons, psychologists.
  2. an ordinary fitness fantastic should not be doing 4 hours a day in a gym, especially with no supervision. The body will start to eat into its own muscle. You may drop some weight in the short term but your health is being compromised. Also puts untold strain on joints, heart health and body’s natural movements and sleep quality.
  3. for this reason he doesn’t like home gyms either where people just buy random equipment. Far better at least to be in a professional environment, a PT would be ideal even just in the short term to concentrate on a far more effective programme. He also said that a healthy diet is the key component. While exercise is useful, a balanced diet is the most important component.
  4. he has encountered this behaviour here and there and it becomes a mental compulsion. It damages the individual and their relationships. (I did not mention Mumsnet or this thread by the way! I just said it was a piece I had seen on daytime TV and asked for his views!)

Thank you. I will show him this thread, good and bad. I appreciate you asking about this.

OP posts:
Kitkatfiend31 · 09/10/2024 18:17

I would suggest he isn't going to the gym in the evening so is trying to fit it in. Where he is in the evening....

WagnersFourthSymphony · 09/10/2024 18:17

Haven't RTFT, only the OP's posts so apologies if you've had this suggestion already. @RubyRedEye perhaps you need a new mattress, one that has separate springing on each side, so that your DH's movements don't disturb you.

brentwoods · 09/10/2024 18:32

I thought you were being unreasonable until I read that he goes to the gym 2xs a day? For 4 hours total? NOPE. NOPE. The lack of sleep is the least of your problems.

JohnTheRevelator · 09/10/2024 18:38

He goes to the gym twice a day,for 2 hours? Sounds rather excessive imo.

NeverDropYourMooncup · 09/10/2024 18:40

Middleaged bloke going to the gym twice a day, pretty much every day?

Give it until the end of November and he'll have done himself a mischief so he won't be doing anything at all - rotator cuff and knee injuries are most likely, especially as he isn't feeding the recovery process (although there's no recovery at all with him exercising twice a day to that intensity and having hardly any sleep).

MassiveOvaryaction · 09/10/2024 18:41

ginasevern · 09/10/2024 14:14

You didn't seem to see the problem with a married couple sleeping separately for the foreseeable future. You said you sleep much better when your DH is away but it doesn't mean you love him any less - which is a fair comment. But unless your DH is permanently away and you always sleep alone, your experience bears no relation to the OP's.

Fair. I hadn't copped on at that point that op meant literally every day. That is a bit much yep.

Mummyoflittledragon · 09/10/2024 18:52

I haven’t read much of the thread apart from your comments. My daughter has an eating disorder (anorexia), and is very mentally unwell. Idk how much your dh is eating and why. But this definitely sounds like disordered eating at the very least. My understanding is that disordered eating means someone with unhealthy eating practices rather than being mentally ill. As for the exercise, people with eating disorders often have a lot of anxiety and compulsively exercise to quieten thoughts / the eating disorder voice and to get a dopamine fix.

I am not terribly up to speed on this as things are all relatively new and I’m still learning. However, I would definitely be very concerned. Drinking raw eggs in itself is not bad for you. However, as has been explained to you, he should not be eating without properly understanding nutrition. As he seems to be copying advice from people on the internet, I am not sure that this is the case.

Personally I wouldn’t show him the thread as it may anger him. I know it definitely would anger my dd and make things worse. I would do some research and perhaps speak to an eating disorder charity such as BEATS.

As an ‘in’ for your dh and if you have the funds, perhaps getting him a dietician, who is also a personal trainer to work with him could be helpful perhaps. It would need to be packaged carefully as some kind of present or reward to recognise all his hard work etc rather than because you’re worried about him. I am not sure I would just do this in case he is mentally unwell. It’s just a thought.

Savingthehedgehogs · 09/10/2024 19:09

Hmmm if this was my dh I would not believe it - period. I would assume there was a reason beyond wearing old suits!

I would ask him to drop one of the sessions am ideally. He does not need to work out for 4 hours! A compromise is needed here, and I wouldn’t really be happy with only spending quality time together once a week either!

TeaGinandFags · 09/10/2024 19:40

What he's doing is unsustainable. If HR doesn't stop and learn moderation he'll make himself ill.

You could complain to the gym: they have a duty of care to their clients and they're failing.

I suppose you could talk to him but I can't see that working. The only alternative is to talk to his GP and see if he can be forcibly admitted as he's currently a danger to himself.

I also think that this is beyond your ability to make him better. Speak to professionals.

BabyR · 09/10/2024 19:48

I know people who work as fitness coaches and one who owns a gym. They still only workout once a day and it’s their full time job to look and help others feel good.

RubyRedEye · 09/10/2024 20:30

So we’ve talked and I’ve cried.

His points were that he’s done his utmost best not to wake me. He’s not been sleeping well and is laying awake with sciatica early in the morning, so thought it would be better to get up and move than stay in bed suffering. It just seemed logical to get an extra workout in.

He said that he’s doing the protein shakes and eggs because he doesn’t want to put extra cooking on me. If I wanted to make something protein rich and lean, e.g. chicken, broccoli etc then he’d definitely eat with me. He can’t be bothered to cook this for himself, which is why he’s done down the route he has.

He said that sleeping outside the bedroom was a suggestion, as he can see how tired I am. But he doesn’t really want this. He was just desperate for a way around waking me.

He said that he enjoys the gym, but not when it’s busy. Hence the very early mornings and late evenings. He didn’t realise the amount of time he spent there bothered me.

He said that since our youngest started uni, the house is so quiet and it feels like we’re not doing much. So the gym also is something to do, and is helping him get back into his suit.

He’s said that he can’t promise that he won’t get up in the morning, as he can’t lay there in pain. But he won’t set an alarm to get up and he won’t go to the gym in the morning. If he does wake and wakes me up to, then perhaps we can have coffee and a walk if the weathers ok.

He’s going to continue going in the evening. I asked about another women, as this thread raised that as a possibility. He seemed shocked and said that he wasn’t: that the gym was empty and he’d take photos and send them to me if I felt I needed proof. I said it was ok, but he’s sent me pictures of an empty gym this evening regardless. I’ll attach a DH share.

He apologised. Acknowledged he’s going a bit nuts in order to fit in his suits, but he really doesn’t want to buy more. The event is with clients who will be judging him. He wants to feel confident.

I’ve said that I’ll cook healthy lean protein rich meals every day, so he has good food in him. He was grateful. He told me that if I’d like to, he’d buy me a gym membership so I can go with him in the evenings, and we can both get out of the house.

I feel that communication has only been possible this evening, one because I had the confidence in what to say to him from reading advice. Two because he saw me upset and crying. Three because it came to a head.

We’ve hugged and I feel better now. I’m going to have a bath and an early night, because I’m extra exhausted now. Tomorrow I’ll stick to my word and I hope he sticks to his. I might also take him up on his offer and join the gym in the evening, although I’m not sure I can be bothered to do two hours ☺️

Husband’s gym habit making me ill.
OP posts:
PeggyMitchellsCameo · 09/10/2024 20:31

Really positive update OP!

Manypaws · 09/10/2024 20:40

Great news OP

CrazyGoatLady · 09/10/2024 21:01

That's a really nice update!

ScrollingLeaves · 09/10/2024 21:02

Lovely news, well done for talking.

Alli88 · 09/10/2024 21:19

My son goes at 1am which works well for all of us in the house

rockstarshoes · 09/10/2024 21:20

LadeOde · 09/10/2024 12:49

An event in work is coming up and lime light will be on him

Has he won an oscar?

🤣🤣🤣

Smittenkitchen · 09/10/2024 21:44

I wonder if what he is doing at the gym is helping or perhaps exacerbating his sciatica?

justasking111 · 09/10/2024 21:49

Ah that's a happy ending..

I have sciatica, can't lie down on our sofa for long without increased pain. Use the empty beds.

Also there are exercises he should avoid.

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