If you’re a certain type of person, the gym might sound like a prime spot to have sex. Sure, there’s the ever-present wafts of body odor, sweat (the gross kind, not the hot kind), and dead skin cells on equipment—but where else will you regularly find yourself in a space where tight, revealing clothing is encouraged and doing something that produces feel-good endorphins and increases in testosterone that can last 30 minutes post-training? That type of environment is probably a big reason why 25 percent of Brits (out of 2,000 surveyed by British sex toy and lingerie retailer Ann Summers) admitted to having sex at the gym.
Let’s be clear: Gym sex isn’t recommended. But for those of you intrigued by the potential to score some post-workout bliss before you even hit the showers (or maybe even in said showers), here’s everything you should know.
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Your Options for Where to Get It On Might Be Limited
Video surveillance makes it nearly impossible to get it on in any area that can be used to actually work out, even in the absence of other gym-goers. You still might be cool with essentially making amateur porn for the security team—but the gym’s manager or owner might not be. That leaves precious few spots for your rendezvous—think locker rooms, restrooms, and saunas, where there’s privacy.
Still, you risk being spotted by another member or an employee (the likelihood increases during peak and staffed hours), or a security camera capturing you and your partner heading into the same space, which may be a cause for suspicion if you’re of opposite sexes. *Chris, an Anytime Fitness owner in Arizona, tells Men’s Health, that’s the point at which the person in charge can take action to block you.
You Might Put Yourself at Risk of an Infection
You have more than just your partner’s sexual health to worry about. Other parts of your body might be exposed to infections when you strip down in a public place to do the deed.
“Most harmful organisms need warm temperature, similar to body temperature, and moisture [to survive],” says Martin Polz, Ph.D., an environmental microbiologist and visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (An exception: Saunas, where temps reach above 113 degrees Fahrenheit, are less likely to harvest bacterial and fungal growth.)
Locker room and shower sex can lead to infections like athlete’s foot, ringworm, and staph. You’ll be especially at risk if you go barefoot, have visible cuts or scrapes, or lean against surfaces like shower walls, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The more skin rubs against a surface, the higher the contact area and thus potential for infection,” says Dr. Polz.
Since friction can spread rashes like ringworm to other areas like your groin (a.k.a. jock itch), intimate contact can also transmit infections between you and your partner. If either of you notices slightly elevated red or pink bumps or a rash that resembles red rings, it’s best to limit skin-to-skin contact until you see a doc.
Bottom line: Any time you’re in a public space, especially where there’s moisture, wear protective footwear, cover open wounds with waterproof bandages, and shield yourself from damp surfaces with a dry towel, says Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph.D., a professor in the department of Dermatology and director of the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
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You Might Wind Up Putting Your Sexual Health at Risk
The increase in testosterone that can last 30 minutes post-training might have more of an effect than just amping up your libido. Researchers found in a 2017 study of 243 men published in Psychological Science that those who were administered single dose testosterone were quicker to act on impulse, which led to overall poor-decision making.
A spike in hormones might make spur-of-the-moment gym sex appealing, but it could also lead to risky sexual behavior, like unprotected sex. The CDC estimates 20 million new sexually transmitted infections in the United States each year. Protect against most STIs and unwanted pregnancy by always packing a condom before leaving home if you think sex is a possibility.
You Could Get Arrested for Public Indecency
Fitness centers are public space, so sex at one is technically illegal. Even if you’re hidden from view, a report of inappropriate behavior by another gym member could land you a misdemeanor. That means snagging an empty shower or bathroom stall could still get you arrested, fined, or your gym membership revoked if you get caught or there’s suspicion that you’re breaking the gym’s code of conduct. Those are typically listed on the company website or outlined in your membership contract.
Ultimately, what happens from there depends on your state’s laws, gym’s policies, and the manager or owner’s feelings toward the matter. For *Chris, this depends on the severity of inappropriateness. “If gym members are making out on the floor, I’ll give them a warning,” he says. But if a couple enters one of the private changing rooms, a phone call to the police will be made and both parties will be asked to forfeit their membership cards.
Before you act on your post-workout high and take all these risks, you might want to consider whether sex at the gym is worth the result of getting caught. Remember, you can always ask your gym honey back to your place.
*names have been changed
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