Thursday 28 January 2010

Ah, the gym....

I went to the gym yesterday and the day before during lunch time as I often do, and should do more because I work about half a street block away from the gym. For the SA girls, it's everybody's favorite Discovery benefit. On walking in I blindly made for the girl's locker room just to be stopped in my tracks by a second, very urgent shout from a security guard. I had to use the little boys room as they had workmen in the little girls. The boys locker room provided much food for thought though as the differences are subtle, but obvious if you start looking. (if you ignore the urinals, that is - not so subtle)

1. More mirrors - I swear, way, way more. Now this amazes me - are men more vain than woman or just more confident?
2. This does oppose the first item - the scale is tucked far in the back most corner in a set of lockers, away from all eyes. In the girls it sits right at the entryway to the rest of the gym, where everybody passes. Are men therefore more shy of their weight or are we woman subtly shoved into the direction of obsessing about our weight.
3. The wear and tear on the recently revamped wooden laminated lockers is way way more than in the girls room. Is it more used or more abused?
4. I was surprised that half the showers had no doors? What the? All the girls showers have doors. Does this stress the fact that this particular branch is known to be a pick up point for gays or are we woman stupid - we do not like other to see us when we shower but we comfortable dress in front of everybody?
5. The print advertisements behind the doors is the boys room currently is for a liver remedy, in the girls, for a constipation remedy. ;-)

Onto the treadmill and while sweating away, the video give me food plays on VH1 - so not on in the gym? I admit Virgin Active has no control over what VH1 plays, but still ironic. Then I notice that a few of the "fatso girls" in this video is not even really that fat! Gosh, my twin skin is more than the rolls on some of those tummies. What does this tell us? Is the expectations of the world towards how thin a woman should be to be attractive too high? Should we all look like Lady Gaga, Fergie and Beyonce, three other scantily clad girls that entertained me on VH1 yesterday? Gosh, I wish I looked like Madonna at 51 but I do not have the luxury of that amount of time and money.

And what will the expectations be when my daughter is 16? What about rather encouraging healthy eating than skinny bodies? And what about moving that scale in the further most corner?

11 comments:

  1. I have to admit my 5 year ld is already starting to FREAK ME OUT, talking about weight... blonder hair & bluer eyes... where do they get this?

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  2. It's a conspiracy I'm telling you! LOL!

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  3. I loved your comparison between the men's locker and women's locker rooms. It does give you food for thought.

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  4. That is surprising about the men's locker room! Maybe it isn't used as much?

    As for Madonna, she is apparently a workout nut. Guy Richie said it was like hugging a bag of bones! I don't think our husbands would like that:-)

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  5. You dont want to see the gyms here...
    NO SHOWERS HAVE DOOR LET ALONE CUBICLES - I never shower at the gym because this is not something I'm used to..
    At the hospitals there ARE NO CURTAINS AROUND THE BEDS..when you get washed everyone in your room can see you...the men are asked to leave the room if someone needs a bed pan.
    I got a lymberpunch with everyone in my room looking at me -
    Sooooooooooooooooooooo

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  6. Also my favourite Discovery benefit.

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  7. Ah girls vs boys toilets!

    When we switched at our gym - I noticed how cleaner theirs were!

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  8. You made me laugh out loud! The differences can be interpreted in so many ways but I love your insights!

    And btw - I DO NOT own a scale and have never in my adult life(out of my parents house) had one in my home!
    That number WILL not define me!
    However my pant size will (gotta work on that)!

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  9. Yes my dear it is true, the expectations are unreasonable. Unfortunately, these expectations are created by WOMAN.

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  10. @Hein - so true, so true!

    @Laura - really? Our are both so squeaky clean I can see no difference!

    @Susie - you think that was one of the reasons for the break-up? I also would not like hugging a bag of bones. Although by the looks of it there must be quite a few muscles involved too.

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