Should I be scared of the women's locker rooms?

mazdauk

I go home and shower.

Me to! I very rarely use the gym for classes, and there's no showers at Zumba because its in the school hall. Both are within walking distance so I have some sweats to put on if I might get chilled (if the car is not available) and as soon as I get in I get cleaned up in comfort.

Our gym did have a couple of changing cubicles where you could wrap in your towel and go to the shower, but I think most poeple did go home. (Or stank :noway: ).

TamaraKat

(Or stank :noway: ).

Made me giggle! THANKS!

totallydelirious

i don't know what your gym is like, but at my gym at uni people will sit in front of the mirror for like half an hour, i know i can easily be in a shower cubical for like 20mins, and our showers are power showers so most people i know who have a gym membership will shower at the gym rather than at their halls.
i *hated* the changing rooms for the first couple of months because i felt like i didn't 'belong'. but it was stupid, no-one knows if you're a newbie or not, and most people are busy not making eye contact whilst they get undressed to notice anything, including if it taks you 10mins to blow dry your hair.

also every gym set up is different, some have cubicals, some have open locker, some have shower cubicles and others more communal showers, so we can't tell you what your gym looks like!

we have shower cubicles, so i strip to my underwear, wrap a towel round me and take a plastic bag with clean undies to the shower with me, take undies off to shower, dry in the cubical and put clean ones on, and then come out in my undies.

but THERE ARE SO MANY NAKED PEOPLE. SOOOOO many. all of them!!! like people who will sit drying their hair completely starkers, or who manage to put on bras, tshirt,s jumpers, coats scarves, shoes all before their knickers!!! i don't get that level of nakedness...

hookilau

There's nothing to be scared of, really :laugh:

Depending on the gym, things can get a little weird but nothing crazy :laugh: As far as the people, they'll be too busy doing their own thing so I wouldn't sweat it.

I try not to look to closely at anything public that I need to use or I'll become irrational :blushing: So as long as it's not overtly filthy and I'm wearing my flip flops, I'm ok.

Our gym had those teeny towels that were somewhere btw a hand towel and bath mat size :huh: Those things sucked. You might want to bring your own if your gym offers towel svc. To mop up while you're working out, these are great, but to shower with, not so much :drinker:

athenasurrenders

The two gyms I belonged to had squeaky clean locker rooms. The showers were all private stalls, there were plenty of lockers and there were one or two cubicles if you didn't want to change in the open. There were a few mirrors/blowdryers, I never saw people queuing for them. I think you will be fine.

HealthyVitamins

Obviously I prefer my own home, but they really aren't too bad.

The virgin active I went to had hairdryers and was really modern and clean, the only problem for me was that a lot of the cultures in this country don't care about being seen naked so will walk around and let it all hang out. I on the other hand was trying to balance a towel covering my behind while putting on socks, I cannot stand being naked infront of strangers, just because we are all women does not mean you need to cavort your naked self around each other.

IronPhyllida

I am. You won't believe how they yell at you.

Same here. Yelling is one thing, but calling me a creep and pervert every time I walk in... that's uncalled for.

haha that's hilarious!!

oOxXxOo

I wear thongs in the showers because the idea of catching foot fungus grosses me out. My gym is kinda big and busy.
Maybe I am coming from the perspective of a woman who has had two children and had multiple students witness both births... but no one gives a crap about what you are doing in there. Most people are pretty friendly and say hey, especially if your a regular and they see you there a lot. I have had people chatting to me when I have been stark naked after swimming but hey that kinda thing doesn't bother me. Probably the weirdest thing I have heard or seen is a regular lady come up and tell me how she got her period during a class.. it was apparently running down her leg. Funnily enough I consider that TMI but some people like to share LOL.

I would never use a towel from a gym. I always take my own. Take two if you can bother lugging it around.
My gym has the usual hairdryers and irons but they are always in demand in busier times so probably factor that in if you are requiring those items.

I would also not use the pump soaps and shampoo and conditioner in the showers.. but that is just me.

DeadsAndDoritos

I am from the UK where showers at the gym are usually private with at least a curtain. I now live in Norway where the showers are communal. No doors or curtains! And they tend to face each other or the door so there is no where to hide. I am horrified by this and usually just go home to shower. One workaround I have figured out is to quickly change into my swimsuit and go for a shower, then steam room, then shower. I still get weird looks for showering in a swimsuit but at least I have the steam room as an excuse (although that only works if the steam room is for men and women, if it's women only you are expected to be naked in there too). Sometimes when the showers are empty I will shower naked but I've only done it once or twice and it feels really brave.

What i'm trying to say is, it is not unusual to find it all a bit intimidating but just do what you are comfortable with and don't worry what anyone else thinks.

littlebee26

I'm wired differently. I have none of these worries. Now that they are mentioned I'm thinking...."why didn't I worry about that.....thats a valid point". This stuff just doesn't occur to me. Not sure why.