Where are the men at the gym?

A paranormal phenomenon occurs at the gym: in most of the group classes, the men disappear. Like that old legend from the eighties, the Bermuda Triangle, that space that swallowed airplanes, the classes swallow the male beings. And I'm not talking about Zumba classes, although that happens too. I'm talking about classes where women lift weights and make them go up and down (body pump) or we do boxing and martial arts punches (body combat), or we do arm and chest strength training while hanging from straps (TXR), activities that in the collective imagination wouldn't be considered "women's activities," but have become so. Then there are classes where women are present, but they are a minority, like yoga, Pilates, and classes to activate the body in general. And there is equality only in CrossFit classes. And where are the men at the gym? Massively, in the weight room, doing individual exercises and lifting waaaaaay heavier weights than in the classes.

I often talk to other women, and if at first I thought the reason was men's aversion to socializing, or to doing what they're told, someone countered that by making me realize that men have always been lovers of team sports, like soccer or basketball. And in the end, the answer I always get is the same: men don't sign up for everything they consider "women's" activities. Because in recent years, women have accepted that it was our turn to be strong, build muscle, and push our hearts to the limit. And to do so, we've gone to the appropriate classes, and what was once considered a more masculine activity, due to its physical demands, is now mixed-gender. And if it's mixed-gender, many men perceive it as feminine. And they shy away because they see it as less interesting. And here lies the crux of the problem: if many women do an activity, it's devalued and loses prestige... for men, because women continue to do it happily. Not to mention how too many men still feel next to a woman capable of lifting more weight than they can.

And it's not limited to leisure activities. The phenomenon affects all levels, for example, professions like medicine, which have seen their prestige decline at the same rate as women have flooded university classrooms.

And if the activity is already considered women's work from the outset, it's much worse. Because prestige plummets to the level of the Earth's core and is trivialized as an unimportant activity. Because, after all, what do women do in book clubs, sewing groups, or pottery clubs? Women's idle chatter. And the tragedy is complete for all those professions related to childhood and caregiving: teachers, midwives, nurses, caregivers for the elderly, domestic workers, because in the social hierarchy they are worth less than a Monopoly bill. In the end, the conclusion is clear: patriarchy sends the perverse message that everything feminine is... shabbyBut feminism, on the other hand, liberates both women and men, because those who don't buy into the patriarchal narrative choose freely and without prejudice. Which team are you on? I know exactly where I stand.