Gym stories

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New gym does not have as many stories as the old gym. Old ladies (perhaps I should say mature except that doesn’t really describe this group) trump old men for interest. No one is fighting over the thermostat or being judgy. There are no old shoes or free books in the changing area. I go to a normal gym now. Sort of.

Here are a few of the characters.

Am I being hit on? There is a youngish guy (that means below 60) who always works out on equipment near me. At first I thought it was coincidence (and it may be). I watch all the CSI programs and there is no such thing as coincidence (as far as crimes are concerned) so I took notice. I am not a beauty queen at my best and certainly not before coffee at the gym. Perhaps he’s friendly or is waiting for the equipment I’m on.

The gadfly – This is a middle-aged woman who is a talker. I avoid her because I’m there to exercise. Too much chatting gets in the way of my mocha latte. Sometimes there is no getting away. She has an interesting life. Recently she spent two months in Southeast Asia touring. She also eats things like hemp and chia seeds and I’m sure weird stuff on her vacation. If there wasn’t so much prattle, I’d listen up more. She could give me some great posts.

The showering folks – These are woman. (I haven’t ventured in the men’s locker room.) There is a young woman showering (and running around naked) when I get there. She’s going to work. She dresses casually but is young and has a natural beauty that doesn’t take much work. I envy her.

And the gadfly again – This person you don’t want to see naked. Like a lot of other people over 60, it just ain’t pretty!

The boob man – We have one of these. He’s over 60 and needs a full coverage bra.

We also have some normal people including a middle-aged beautiful Asian woman and an older woman (less than 5’ tall and weighs 90 lbs. soaking wet).  Both are very fit. Even with my regular routine, they would best me at anything except drinking margaritas. Maybe not even that.

These are the “looking” stories. There isn’t as many interaction stories. Gadfly lady did bring me some hemp and chia seeds to try. I wasn’t there that day so she gave them to someone else. That someone else did not like them. Dampened my interest but maybe a positive comment by a reader could spark that up.

There are a few other unusual folks there but I’ll save them for another day. I wonder how people describe me.

“Crazy woman who rushes around, always checking for exits.”

“Woman who wears the same stuff all the time!” (I’m not into spending a lot for an exercise wardrobe.)

I’m pretty boring. I’m not sure if anyone really notices me.

 

62 thoughts on “Gym stories”

  1. Love these stories. The people who make me crazy are those that seem to go more for the socialization than exercise. I try to steer clear of the people I know who want to engage in half hour conversations. I’m there for a reason and want to get of that germ dish as soon as possible.

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  3. I think the talkers are the problem for me, too. I appreciate the value of being friendly and I can be, but I find even in my yoga classes that there are people who want to talk first thing, when I want to get on my mat and begin to calm. Socializing is not why I go! I eat hemp and chia seeds, but I am definitely not prone to hang with the gadfly crowd. 🙂

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  4. We have the same cast of Usual Suspects at our gym. I try to avoid them as much as possible, but just when I think I’ve done it one of them corners me. My workout, dependent upon day, is usually about 2 hours including cardio. If I factor in the gabbing, it could easily run to 2.5 hours … and I have stuff to do at home!!! Marie suggested getting a set of ear buds and just pretending that I can’t hear anyone, but that would be rude … and I’m going to try it!!!

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    • Don’t let rudeness stop you! Besides it’s more passive rudeness than open hostility. The folks at the gym are nice enough but I doubt I have enough in common to make good friends outside of the gym.

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  5. I admire you! I would love to go to the gym…but somehow, my wanting to go and my actually getting there are diametrically opposed! Bet I’d feel better if I did.

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    • To be honest I had to force myself for the first month. Then you feel comfortable. Gyms can be intimidating especially until you get to know the equipment and establish a routine. I must do it first thing, then a Starbucks latte as a reward or I won’t do it at all. I don’t like exercising in the afternoon. I can find the worst excuses!

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  6. You have the most interesting people at the gym and I could write some stories about the Park people too, though they probably think I am offbeat too … I’ve never tried chia seeds but I follow a blogger who does macro photographer and he did a post a while back about the goodness of eating chia pudding. It is supposed to be good for you.

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  7. I feel good to know that I’m “youngish,” since I’m 4 years under 60. 😀
    Everyone at that gym, including you, are way more fit than this “youngish” person. I’ve put on weight and haven’t worked out in ages. I’m a bit ashamed of this, so “youngish” is all I got. 😉
    Let us know what you think if you try the hemp and chia seeds.

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  8. Nearest I got to a gym after I left school was an aerobics class. Loved it too until I twisted my back! A friend and I did attend a health and beauty session taken by a lady in her 70s who didn’t look a day over 45. We got thrown out as we were sniggering at the back holding our ‘batons’ in two fingers trying to be graceful as we stretched from side to side.

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  9. The Adventures In The Locker Room …. ahhh yes, I remember them well and don’t miss them at all. Especially the Gadfly. It seems there has to be at least one at every gym and there were some days I simply wanted to scream ‘Shut. Up.”

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  12. Gadflies. There one EVERYWHERE. When I worked, I’d take the bus and just wanted a bit of peace and quiet and maybe read a few chapters of a good book before slaying dragons all day. There was always one person who wanted to engage. I used to put in my headphones like I was listening to something and it seemed to discourage them. As for chia seeds, I LOVE them. They are filing and provide a good source of protein (as a vegetarian, this is important for me). Have not tried hemp seeds but suspect they are similar. They should be a nice way to counteract inflammation since CBD is great for arthritis. Sorry, but seeing a guy who needs a bra ruins a good workout for me. 😬That kind of traumatization would not be conducive to ordering a mocha latte and we just can’t have that now, can we?

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  13. Chia seeds are a good (and inexpensive) source of Omega 3 fatty acids ~ about $4 a pound at Fresh Market. And they store well at room temperature. Since we don’t like fish, we keep a shaker of Chia seeds on the counter to sprinkle on salads, casseroles, etc. Like poppy seeds, chia seeds don’t have much taste & they can get stuck in your teeth.

    You can make a vegan pudding with them because they plump up when wet. I confess to not being curious enough to whip up a batch of chia pudding.

    And I think you can use them to make a Chia Pet . . . but I haven’t tried that either. 😛

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  15. Be careful with youngish guy. I had a bad experience with a younger guy (my son’s age) at a rock festival. Thought he was just being kindly/protective to an older lady being pushed around by the crowd until he fondled my butt. Then I had to send him packing. WTF is wrong with men!?!?!?!

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  18. please keep me informed about amIbeinghiton … I watched a lot of csi too, think you are right about him… I like the gadfly people if they have interesting things to tell I like it to listen to them instead to gloria gaynors “survive” (survive in a gym that’s oxymoron, isn’t it? )

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    • 🙂 I don’t see naked people so it was a shock to see the gadfly naked. In all seriousness, unless I was going to work (and gadfly wasn’t) I’d shower at home. I should post about my walking group. Now that’s where all the gossipy stories are!

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  20. I always feel like the women’s locker room at my family-friendly gym would serves as the best birth control for superficial teens. Between the harried moms (with kids in child watch) and the older watercising women, it’s extra skin/ stretch marks central.

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  21. We have finally gotten into a routine of going to the gym 4-5 days a week. H’s doctor insisted he needed this although I’ve encouraged him often. We rarely see the same people twice. That’s probably because H doesn’t tend to go at a set time every day. Morning, noon, or night – whenever the mood strikes. I go with the flow because I don’t want to discourage him. I’m easy. If it was just me, I’d get up every morning and get it over with!

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    • Unless you are on the treadmill, you can’t talk and exercise (at least I can’t). The gadfly is there a lot longer than I am but I suspect that actual exercising time is the same. As soon as there is someone worth treading into the men’s room, I’ll be on it.

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