Gyms and women

Ok, I recently joined a new gym, after being out of the gym scene for waaaaaaaaay too many years. It was a toss up between one that is co-ed and an all females. Now I’m wondering if I made the right choice 🙁

I opted for the all women gym because this way I could go in, work out, be left alone and have no bothers. Ya know, ipod earphones in just minding my own biz, doing my own thing…hit the stairmaster for 30 mins, weights and then bike or treadmill for another 30 mins to cool down. Go to the yoga class and enjoy…and not have anyone talking to me or bothering me, not worrying if I missed my lash extensions in Winnipeg appointment and half my lashes are falling off blah blah blah.

Today was going great…worked up an awesome sweat on the stairmaster. Looked around and the time of morning I go, there’s only like maybe 8 other women in there of all ages and sizes. Most of them were in some step class (sorry I don’t do those…hands/feet/body coordination isn’t there for me! that’s why I stick to weights and machines!). Well, I noticed none of them sweat, and here I was with my “wife beater” tank totally drenched and sweat running down my arms, face. Apparently while I was noticing them NOT sweating, they were noticing me sweating because someone made a comment to someone else…whatever ladies….I continue on about my workout, and just turn up the ipod a tad louder to tune out their ‘step’ music and their whispers.

Hit the machines, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh feels good to squat 100 lbs again…it’s been awhile. Love the burn! Did some more weights and then decided I’d better hit the bike and get outta there so I can get some work done.

On the bike, ipod going, reading a magazine (hey remember I’m queen of multitasking) and texting my son who was happy to find out next Monday is a paid holiday for him at work! I was about 23 minutes into my bike cool down when an older woman got on the bike next to me. I smelled her though before she got there. Not sweat, but perfume and in massive amounts to where I gasped for air as soon as she came near. I gasped again as she got on the bike next to mine and tears came to my eyes, that’s how much perfume she had on. For those who don’t “know” me, I’m mega sensitive to smell (read some of my past rantings about perfume counters in malls). I had to leave, there were no other bikes to use and later I’m going back to gym with daughter to use treadmill anyhow. So, all because someone bathed in perfume before coming to the gym, I had to leave early 🙁

Which brings me to these thoughts:

While I own Affordable Mineral Makeup™, you will NOT find me wearing makeup in the gym while I’m working out.

I don’t understand those who get all ‘made up’ to go work out (especially in an all women’s gym, I mean it’s not like some buff hunk of a man is going to be checking you out).

I don’t grasp why people bath in perfume and cologne…especially prior to going to the gym…I mean aren’t you going there to work out, build up a sweat, hit the sauna & rid yourself of some of the toxins in your body?

I really don’t understand why people in a gym find it odd to see others sweat. Or perhaps I’m just the odd one because I enjoy working out, enjoy sweating and am there to accomplish something not just go and socialize and not get anywhere with my health.

Perhaps tomorrow my attire will include my ipod along with a mask over my face too so I can breath fresh air and not chemical funk that some of these women are bathing in.