What is the best way to approach a woman at the gym without being creepy? What is the worst way to be approached? Or is the gym simply a bad place?

Here are some more reasons why hitting on people at the gym is generally a terrible idea:

  • They're there for a purpose, and it's typically not a very social one for most people. If you make someone stop spacing out and break their rhythm, they're probably already gonna be annoyed at you.

  • Nobody looks their best at the gym. They're unlikely to enjoy feeling stared at when they're sweaty and unkempt.

  • Gym outfits are generally not a lot of clothing, so the idea that you're gawking at their body while they're trying to get their workout in is likely to make someone uncomfortable. Reactions are, again, less likely to be positive than they might otherwise be (and let's face it, the road to cold approaches is not paved with delight from recipients at the best of times).

  • People generally pay for gym memberships and/or have a preferred gym they go to. Making them uncomfortable in that space is shitty, but it also automatically puts people on the defensive because they have to worry about having to manage a crappy reaction from you, or whether you're going to start harassing or stalking them at the damn gym. (Sure, maybe you personally would never. Plenty of people do that it's a standard concern for lots of women.)

So you're basically giving yourself just about the lowest possible chance of success, while almost certainly making the other person profoundly uncomfortable. What's the upside?

/r/AskWomen Thread