Nigerian men have expressed divided views over the propriety of allowing their wives to visit public gyms in the light of the exposure that they could be subjected to.
The divided opinion is coming in the light of reports that a Nigerian man in Katsina divorced his wife after he discovered that a male doctor attended to her during childbirth.While some Nigerian men saw no problem in the idea, others object to the idea of allowing their wives to visit the gym to keep fit.A civil servant and father of three, Mr Damilare Olalekan, said, “I won’t allow my wife to go to the gym. I have seen some social media videos of how some of these men inappropriately touch women, in the name of training and I can’t allow such a thing.“There are home exercises that she can do and there are female personal trainers and wellness therapists she could consult.”
Similarly, a clothier, Ahmed Ojomo, told Hobnob News that as a Muslim, his religion frowns on men physically touching other men’s wives.
“My religion frowns on a man touching other men’s women, and some of the things these women wear to the gym are too revealing. The men attending to them are not made of wood,” he said.
“I know I can’t speak for everyone, but personally I don’t know any gym instructor who sleeps with their learners, though I won’t say such things don’t happen. People get these ideas from porn materials and from there they start making general claims that are false.
“Like so many other professions, some unscrupulous people with impure motives come into the sector, but people like these need to be stopped and if non-consensual, be made to face the consequences.I once had a client whose husband always called on the phone to monitor her movements whenever she was in the gym because of this widely believed misconception. These are issues we all need to speak against.”
In his reaction, a psychologist, Kolawole Afolabi, explained that more Nigerians need to have a full understanding of sexual addiction.
He added, “Although there are no available data that can be referenced, it would seem that some of these men and women who have turned fitness centres into sexual trysts might actually be suffering from sex addiction. This is a disorder that is now recognised by the World Health Organisation and is defined as “a persistent pattern of failure to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses or urges resulting in repetitive sexual behaviour.
“Symptoms of sex addiction may include repetitive sexual activities becoming a central focus of the person’s life to the point of neglecting health and personal care or other interests, activities, and responsibilities; numerous unsuccessful efforts to significantly reduce repetitive sexual behaviour; and continued repetitive sexual behaviour despite adverse consequences or deriving little or no satisfaction from it.
“So, we should be alert to the possibilities that individuals who indulge in repetitive sexual acts in public places, without regard for the consequences, might be sex addicts. They would need to see a professional counsellor and go through therapy.”
Besides the furore of Nigerian men allowing their wives go to the gym, a media consultant, Omolola Bello, told our correspondent that women do feel uncomfortable when men glare at their bodies or laugh at them while working out.
She said, “I don’t feel comfortable going to the gym if there are many men there because I know they will be glaring at my backside while I’m working out and that disturbs my energy.
“This is not something that is uniquely my experience, I know several women that will tell you the same. Apart from the fact that it’s rude, some men are in the habit of catcalling you or following you because you are in the gym with them.
“Some will even be making a jest of you and poking fun at you as it happened to me. These kinds of unwelcome remarks towards women are disrespectful and yes, they qualify as harassment.”
