AN INTERESTING AFTERNOON AT THE Y - 11/30/09

I was almost finished making my rounds on the weight machines when an thin, old man in short-shorts came in and started working his circuit. He was new to the machines as evidenced by him studiously working from his trainer’s chart. The paper provides the correct seat adjustments and weight level for each person’s height, weight, and strength.

But back to the man. At one point he took the machine next to mine and as he was working on his settings, a really bad body odor wafted my way. I left that machine and after cleaning it off, and the machine two down that he had just used and not cleaned, I was ready to work on the only machine I hadn’t yet been on - the one he had previously left. Unfortunately, the stench had permeated the machine. I was thinking bad thoughts about inconsiderate old people showing too much skin as I left the room.

After I finished with the treadmill, I was walking out through the lobby and ran into some middle-school students attending the after-school programs at the Y. One girl accidentally tripped me as I was walking by (I almost fell). She instantly apologized and as the group continued on their way, the girls were giggling and one of them said, and I quote, "You almost tripped that old lady!"

Sigh...

Why I Quit MVP Gym and Joined the YMCA

It’s closer to home, a little less expensive, and yes, much more humble; some might even call it run-down. There are no small work-out towels available, just pool-size. There are no disposable wipes standing by to clean off machines; there’s just a few spray bottles with cloth towels that everyone uses to clean up.But I like it. No one is looking at who’s wearing the latest gym attire, because no one’s wearing it. It’s a little heavier populated with senior citizens but that’s ok. They’re pretty friendly.And the Y is friendly. At MPV, it is unusual for anyone to catch your eye and smile, much less to say hello. Why that is I do not know. I only know that if I happened across a person who responded with a smile or a hello, I was amazed. I am sure there are nice people at MVP but they are just tough to locate. When I joined the gym, I attended a lot of group exercise classes, for the exercise along with the socialization. But they are closed groups. I am sure that over time, one could break into the ‘group’ but only if one can tolerate the interim. My first couple of times at the Y, people, strangers, greeted me and my first thought was: "What? Are you talking to me?"Then there’s the posturing at MVP. The younger, very physically fit, men and women, in the latest attire - why do they seem so unfriendly? They talk only to others of their ilk and parade themselves throughout the gym. It’s tough to be in a class with any of them. I can’t do that lunge quite as deeply as I should and I can’t add those 10 lbs to my weights Do they make me feel insecure? A little bit. Do they intimidate? A little bit. Is it my fault for being intimidated? Yes, it is. But I can only ignore everyone when I’m on the treadmill hooked to my ear phones watching TV. Then I don’t notice and don’t care.So I carried on, dropped the group classes, hired a personal trainer for a few sessions, and ran my program for a year and a half. When I lost my job, the appeal of MPV was also lost. I no longer needed a gym nearby my workplace and certainly did not need to run into old work associates, so I made my move.And like the job move, this was a change I should have made sooner. I like being part of an organization with loftier goals other than adding to the profits of an already incredibly wealthy local family. People at the Y already know my name, I’ve learned their weight machines, and yes, I can still happily lose myself on the treadmill with my headset hooked into the TV. It’s exercise bliss, in whatever I chose to wear.
Posted by ionnature at 12:48 PM
Labels: attire, gym, mvp, ymca