‘Probably the Right Call’: A Man Stepped Back From His Gym Crush After Discovering Their Age Gap

A Reddit post shared to r/BoyDinnerDiaries describes a man's decision to step back from a developing relationship with a woman he met at the gym, after the two discovered a 10-year age difference between them. He said the woman, whom he called his gym crush, had passed him a note with her phone number after weeks of noticing each other during workouts.

The two quickly found common interests and a comfortable chemistry as they started texting frequently and working out together in the evenings. In the weeks before passing him her number, she had told him she felt nervous working out near him.

While talking in the gym parking lot after a workout, the subject of their ages came up. He was surprised to learn she is 19, and she was equally surprised to learn he is 29, saying she assumed he was no older than 23.

They stood briefly in silence before he told her he did not think they should pursue anything romantic..

"She agreed, we had a productive conversation about it and made jokes about where were you during this year," he wrote. She also joked that there would be unspoken tension going forward and warned him not to be put off if she seemed to be "fawning" over him — a remark he wrote did not feel entirely like a joke.

They agreed to continue seeing each other at the gym as friends, becoming "gym bro/sis." She told him the timing was simply wrong and that she held no hard feelings about his decision.

She told him she did not personally view the age gap as a problem, and that the experience was new for her too. He said his own discomfort came down to how the situation felt to him rather than her.

Reacting to the post, many commenters praised the way the situation was handled. One commenter called the decision the right one given the circumstances. They wrote, "Probably the right call, 19 is very young for someone nearing 30. Sucks seeing that you all had so much in common and she was really into you. Very mature response and good honest communication, bravo sir."

Another commenter offered historical context on age gaps in dating. They wrote, "It's a story as old as time. When I was in HS in the 80s, 16yos were chasing guys well into their 20s. It's nothing new, and if anything it's less acceptable now than it was then."

A separate commenter suggested the timing issue could resolve itself with more years between them. They wrote, "Doing the right thing. If you're meant to be together, you'll still be meant to be together in a few years when it's much less weird. A decade isn't egregious once everyone is a full fledged adult."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the details of this account or the identities of those involved. The details above reflect the post shared to r/BoyDinnerDiaries.