Question [Solved] What happened to the Lounge, Writing Prompts. ect. ?

When the gym happens to have one of these, then I might consider going.

 

I like to go to the gym looking like shit (cheapo sweat pants, a loose tee, no make-up). I've been hoping it'd trigger some kind of reaction in the more groomed, prissy-looking people, like could you look at me at least a little bit askance? but it's starting to seem like no one actually cares and everyone's just really nice. That makes gym-trolling really hard.

 

Yeah, but you're already very fit, aren't you? It's the people who are very UNfit who probably feel awkward in a gym. It's a contrast between the ones who go there in a very fat/unfit state to try to work up to 'normal,' versus the people who are already normal and want to become super-fit. All bunched together in the same room at the same time? Yikes. The unfit ones who know they look terrible in gym outfits, fat hanging out and all that, versus the ones who already look great. Double yikes. Only very confident people can handle that, in today's society where fitness is such a virtue and unfitness gets censured.

 

You're probably right. I don't really know what it's like to be unfit and/or of size and then brave the gym, and I think I also "get away" with looking frumpy 'cause I'm in an okay condition. But I sooo wanted to send a mile-long hate mail to this airheaded bikini fitness model who tweeted/instagrammed a photo she had snapped at her gym of a rather sizeable guy training in the background, topped off with a disparaging comment. I've been to that gym, and I suppose it's a bit of a poser place, but it might be that guy's closest gym, and now for all we know, that twit of a model just made it even harder for him to show up in the future. But the internet mob got to her before I did (so everyone feels sorry for her now, thanks internet mob), but I'm guessing she won't do that again. Hopefully she even went and apologized to him.

There's another gym nearby called 'Curves' and basically the idea is that people (mainly women) who are overweight and insecure can go there to work out in peace. Okay, great, but you know what would be even better? If every gym in your town was accessible to you, regardless your looks, weight, ability etc. It's the assholes who need to stay out, not the people who are insecure about their bodies and/or abilities.

 

(Said something. Nevermind.)

 

AFAIK, Curves (at least the one local to me) is for women only. Not so much about whether or not the patrons will get fat-shamed, but an attempt to protect women from unwanted, well, attention while trying to work out.

Pity it's necessary, but probably a good idea.

 

Ah, okay. No, this is a different chain. It's part of Fit24 which is a Finnish company. I actually applied for a job there once, but, alas, didn't get it. There's some other chain that's just for women, and yeah, definitely one of the reasons is to provide women a "safe" gym as some get uncomfortable when men are around, and sometimes men do harass women, and also, if there weren't that kind of gyms, more religious women couldn't necessarily join at all (kinda like how swimming halls are reserved for Muslim women at a certain hour, otherwise they couldn't go swimming at all ).

 

Yeah, it's just a place for them to go without feeling ashamed and uncomfortable. I mean, would you want to exercise in the same gym as a dude who looks like the living version of Goku benchpressing 110 IBS with no problem? Especially if you're afraid that said dude is going to give you unwanted attention? I wouldn't, and I'm a dude! A very skinny dude, but still, unwanted attention is unwanted and I wouldn't want to have my exercise routine be distracted because my brain's comparing me to the Goku-expy and telling me why I can't look like him.

At any rate, it's just a place for them to go and be comfortable when they exercise. No harm in that.

As for Muslim women swimming at a certain hour, that's a bit odd. Why is that?

 

I'm pretty sure it's due to the fact that any swimsuit that wouldn't drown them would reveal more of their bodies, or at least shape, than they'd feel comfortable showing to men they don't know. Not an issue at present here in Japan, but the government is working to make things more appealing to Muslim visitors for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so we may see "Ladies' Hour" or something similar on offer here soon.

edit: pronoun agreement

 

Wearing clothing that is revealing in front of men is against Muslim women's sense of modesty. Also no dancing or exercising in a mixed gender group, I assume since some of the poses are immodest.

 

That and exercise clothes are quite exposed compared to a burka.

 

wouldn't that be a group of bunnies? That sounds more like a harem to me...

Spoiler: content warning, example:

ERBOH Started releasing videos again. Looking forward to another season. I spent all night playing Overwatch, Open beta just started on PC. Loving Tracer. But now I'm soo tired, lol. The price of gaming dedication, hahah.

 

No, a group of bunnies is called an orgy. Except in Australia, there is called a swarm.

 

Have you ever seen a swarm of feral bunnies destroy crops?
...Me neither.

 

Well, I don't care at all, but I can understand if someone else would feel uncomfortable. I'm not even bothered if someone stares -- it's just a stare, it's not that they're grabbing my butt. And I'm not afraid of unwanted attention, but of course I do object when I get unwanted attention. I don't really care what others think or if they laugh at my feeble attempts at pull-ups, but, again, I can understand if some people do, especially if they have a negative body image or bad experiences with fat shaming / fitness shaming or just generally suffer of social anxiety.

Like others have explained, Islam has modesty rules. It's a bit of a hot button topic over here right now as Finns tend to frown upon gender segregation and, because of the sauna culture, nudity is regarded very differently to some other cultures. Afaik, some swimming halls also forbid the burkini, and if they don't have women only hours, some Muslim women (and women who are uncomfortable in a mixed group), couldn't go swimming at all.

 

No, they just steal the souls of the little children and transform them into more feral bunnies.

 

That too.

 

My friend is fairly liberal for a Muslim, does not wear a burka just a pretty scarf loosely draped over her hair, but would be scandalized at exercising in a mixed gender group.

 

Maybe they're worried about the sexuality of exercise? You know, all those female exertions noises and flexing body parts. Straight guys could easily find that very erotic. I'm sure many of them do. So having them witness that is like seeing their nudity maybe? Too exposed? Kind of like what was mentioned before about sexual aspects to poses.

 

This must be a cultural thing or something, but at the gyms where I've been, it's guys who make noise (grunts, growls, wheezing, huffing and puffing), not girls.

Although, you might gather an audience if you squat in your Lululemons and happen to have an exceptional butt... That can be kinda sexual.

 

What's a lululemon?

 

http://www.lululemon.com.au/.

 

Yes, guys tend to make more noises of their own accord. But there are a number of exercise forms where they ask you to breathe heavily and stuff. Like aerobics. Puffing is good for breathing properly while doing it. And it's popular with women.

 

It's the same here as well. We men love to make grunting noises when we excercise. It's how we psych ourselves up.

 

In our gyms we have signs which discourage loud grunting.