Influencer Catches Vile Gym Behavior on Camera, Sheds Light on Women’s Unease in Fitness Spaces

25 October 2025

A viral video shared by influencer Hannah Trenches reveals a disturbing moment at her local gym while recording herself on a treadmill, the clip picked up men behind her engaging in suggestive and offensive gestures she hadn’t noticed in real time.

Hannah posted the footage to highlight an uncomfortable truth: many women feel vulnerable or objectified in public workout spaces. She noted the incident felt surreal because she didn’t sense anything amiss while filming; it only became clear when she watched the back-camera footage afterward. “I’ve had mainly really good experiences in gyms,” she admitted, “so I was a bit in disbelief when I was editing this back last night.”

Central to her message was the point that such moments are often dismissed as “harmless banter,” yet the effect on women can be deeply destabilising. In her caption she wrote: “No woman should go to the gym and worry that men will do that behind her back … We go to exercise, build good habits, help our mental health. Not to be sexualised!” The post quickly struck a chord with many viewers. Comments poured in from those sharing similar gym-related anxieties:

“The way even the other man looks slightly uncomfortable but obviously won’t call it out. Makes him just as bad. I’m sorry this happened to you." “Thank you for being brave and sharing. I actually have a fear of going to the gym because of the constant sexualisation of women in sports.”

Hannah also used the moment to advocate for more women-only gym spaces not as exclusionary zones, but as places where women can feel safer and more comfortable without the fear of being objectified or watched.

The clip comes amid a broader discussion of gym harassment, which research suggests is widespread: past studies found that up to 76 percent of women feel uncomfortable exercising in public due to unwanted attention, and in another survey 56 percent reported actual harassment during their workouts.

While some viewers supported Hannah’s decision to speak out, others argued she might have “overreacted.” The backlash is part of the larger tension between free-speech advocacy and the lived experience of women navigating public spaces where their comfort is not always prioritised.

This incident underscores something important about gym culture: spaces that are statistically male-dominated often carry unspoken pressures and risks. The expectation that women should “just handle it” or that gestures are “innocent” overlooks how context, repetition and power dynamics actually shape daily experiences.

As for what happens next, Hannah urged the gym management to review footage, update policies, and explicitly address behaviour that makes members feel unsafe. For women who’ve been silently enduring similar experiences, her decision to go public signals a shift: documenting, calling out and refusing to normalise the unwelcome.

In the end, the gym was meant to be a space for strength, mental health and wellness but for many women, it also includes minutes of vigilance, second-guessing and discomfort. This moment captured on video reminds us that physical spaces reflect cultural ones and that culture needs reparative attention too.