Gym changing rooms

[Xen]

I have just had a tour of a gym that is about to open in London and was amazed to walk into the chaging room to see a changing cubicle - only one admittedly but as exepcted all the showers were in cubicles. I am not sure it this may be an indication of things to come, property is probably too expensive to allow large enough changing rooms for individual changing cubes but it is an indication of how much things have changed over the past few years - in the early 90s not only would there not have been a changing cube but the showers would have been open too.

When I first joined a gym I was daunted by the need to be nakedd, in the showers, sauna and steam, but it didn't take long to overcome this irrational fear and once comfortable with myself to move on to naturist. It does concern me that if people are not going to be exposed to nudity in a casual way such as this, it is going to make it far harder for them to get into naturism and the future of the movement may be bleak.

[Stu2630]

It does concern me that if people are not going to be exposed to nudity in a casual way such as this, it is going to make it far harder for them to get into naturism and the future of the movement may be bleak.

Some people like privacy when changing while others. I am one such person: nobody ever sees me naked. There will always be people who want to be nude with others and they will always have opportunities to do so, i.e. by being provided with suitable places to enjoy their chosen recreation. I don't think you need to worry about "getting people into naturism" because they'll either want to do it or they won't. And the vast majority won't.

Stu

[Journeyman]

Xen, I agree with you. My local YMCA is about to have a facelift/refurbishment, and when looking at the architect's plans, saw that the men's (and women's) open shower room was going from one large room to individual cubicles. The separate saunas stay, but when you see young people in the saunas in their bathing suits, you have to wonder if modesty is the norm these days.

[Sanslines]

Modesty is very much the norm today as people are hounded by the media into believeing that they have all sorts of body image problems that are too embarrassing for others to see.

[bill2me]

Funny thing is my gym had dividers in the shower until about 4 years ago. Now it is just one big room and no one seems to care.

[MJ_KC]

I personally prefer an open area instead of being crammed in a too small space. The cubicle approach is more expensive to build and maintain, so it isn't something that I would want.

[nudeM]

From what I have seen in this area, the gyms' showers are all open type, so everyone showers out in the open. No problems here. (yet):smoking:

[MJ_KC]

Modesty is very much the norm today as people are hounded by the media into believeing that they have all sorts of body image problems that are too embarrassing for others to see.
I have a bit of a gut on me that refuses to go away and I am fine with it. That is how I am made and I sure won't be getting cosmetic surgery to correct it. If someone doesn't like my appearance, they are free to look at someone else.

[nudeM]

I have a bit of a gut on me that refuses to go away and I am fine with it. That is how I am made and I sure won't be getting cosmetic surgery to correct it. If someone doesn't like my appearance, they are free to look at someone else.

:laugh: Dittos MJ KC I know exactly what you mean. I am me, and if you don't like it, tough.

[David77]

The three new Ys, as well as the older Ys in my area all have open showers.

[Lilwilly]

The gym I go to used to have two shower rooms. One was a big room with gang showers and the other was divided into 6 stalls with no curtains. Funny thing was, almost everyone used the big open room. The sauna is used nude by most, but some see the need to wrap a towel around themselves. It is kind of funny to see people hiding themselves in a room full of naked men.

[Stu2630]

At my gym (where I am on the members' committee) we are in the process of re-vamping our showers and changing rooms, both mens and womens. In October, we voted by a majority of 6 to 5 in favour of spending a bit more and making them into individual cubicles. We have a main sauna, which is swimwear optional for single-sex sessions but compulsory for mixed, although virtually everyone wears swimming costumes. We also have a couple of smaller saunas in the exercise area, and they are always mixed so swimwear is compulsory at all times.

Stu

[Sanslines]

At my gym (where I am on the members' committee) we are in the process of re-vamping our showers and changing rooms, both mens and womens. In October, we voted by a majority of 6 to 5 in favour of spending a bit more and making them into individual cubicles. We have a main sauna, which is swimwear optional for single-sex sessions but compulsory for mixed, although virtually everyone wears swimming costumes. We also have a couple of smaller saunas in the exercise area, and they are always mixed so swimwear is compulsory at all times.

Stu
Yes Stu, we are all fully aware how you will use your own personal biases to reconfigure your health club changing and showering facilities. Regardless of the vote tally (if there even was a vote tally) you would use your biases to discourage anything but what you want and we are all fully aware of that. You need not contradict this for we already know and nothing you say can change that as our minds are all made up.

[Stu2630]

Sanslines

Your response is illogical. Try to see it from my point of view.

We had to renew and modernise these facilities so we had to take a decision one way or the other. Why should I vote for a facility to be designed in such a way that I wouldn't use it? I'm not just on the members' committee of my sports centre - I am a full member and user of the club, too. I vote for how I would like the facilities at the gym to be for me to use as well as for the members who speak to me. It's not a question of bias, but of preference.

And I get the vibes that most people's preference is for individual cubicles.

For the record, I have never raised any objection to the "swimwear optional" rule for the single-sex saunas and steam room sessions.

Stu

[Sanslines]

Stu,

At the gym that I go to, the men's locker area is open with benches in front of the lockers. There are no private cubicles. If someone wishes to change in private, they usually go into the shower stalls. close the curtain, and change there. Many times, men will go into the shower stalls, close the curtain, disrobe, shower, dress, open the curtain, and emerge from the shower stall. The added expense of making nothing but private changing stalls would be prohibitive to most gyms here and they would not be willing to do it. Instead, those who wish to change in private will have to do so in the private shower stalls. They also have the choice (and so exercise this choice) by not using the shower or locker room facility.

[MJ_KC]

If I went into a gym and saw that the changing area and shower area had been divided into cubicles, it would be a sign to me that the managers and members do not have a healthy attitude towards the human body and it would be a signal to me to find a different gym.

[vanesa1017]

The shower area at my gym is a gang shower and the sauna is female only and most of us wear nothing. Some cover up in a towel but most are nude.

[Agde]

Wearing polyester in a sauna sounds to me incredibly gooey, slimy and unhygienic. Yuk!

[Stu2630]

Wearing polyester in a sauna sounds to me incredibly gooey, slimy and unhygienic. Yuk!

I have a pair of 100% cotton towelling sarong and I find this exceedingly comfortable, and hygienic, in the sauna.

Stu

[Xen]

If I went into a gym and saw that the changing area and shower area had been divided into cubicles, it would be a sign to me that the managers and members do not have a healthy attitude towards the human body and it would be a signal to me to find a different gym.

I entirely agree although in the UK it might take some finding.

[Arnabas]

At my local Y-- which I believe to be the biggest in Montreal-- there is only one small cubicle in the showers, with the rest being wide open.

I remember years ago during the ice storm, I was one of the many without power for several days. I heard that the Y was allowing people to go for a hot shower and headed over. At that time, I had been to a nudist resort one time only and was still feeling a bit self-concious. I remember one man talking to me while I was getting undressed and thinking "doesn't he see I'm about to be *naked*? Why is he talking to me?" Didn't take long to get over it, though. There were many people there and I'd say the majority were families, with kids ranging from toddlers to teens. I spotted a fair number of others (mostly teens) who were trying to cover up discreetly, but after a very short time they'd give up and just relax.

One thing that did throw me off, though, was many years later (about 2 years ago) my wife and I were taking our son to start swimming lessons. We went toward the changing area and I knew that the men's rooms were on the left as we came down the stairs, so I glanced to the right and saw "Family Changing Rooms" listed beside the women's rooms. My wife and I went in, changed him and went to the pool without incident and without seeing anyone else in there.

Coming back from the pool, we got him undressed and were going to rinse him off. I heard the showers running and heard female voices. I didn't think much of it, since it was a family room. I went around the corner to see a woman and her young daughter both nude in the shower. My first thought was "huh, they're pretty comfortable being nude in the family room..." but the daughter covered herself up and the mother explained (quite calmly, without any visible distress) that this was the *women's* family changing room. There was a mens family changing room on the other side. (Odd definition of family, but I digress...)

Backing away from the shower, we ran into another lady-- fully dressed in a sweatsuit-- with her young son in his swimsuit. She freaked out and started yelling at us (me, really) to get out.

I still find it odd that a naked woman and young teenage girl barely reacted while the clothed woman went ballistic.

[walter05]

Your story about being with your son reminded me of an incident with my son.
<O:p</O:p
We were in a locker room. He was already naked and I was getting undressed. There was a young man, perhaps around 20 in the locker room. He was still wearing shorts and I had seen him there before. He always showered with shorts and changed under a towel.
<O:p</O:p

The young man asked my seven-year-old son if he was embarrassed being nude.
<O:p</O:p

My son said that if he wanted to get clean in the shower, he has to be naked. He then said if you want to get clean, you have to be naked. He then asked the young man if he was there to get clean or look at others.
</O:p
The young man said to get clean and pulled the shorts down immediately.
<O:p</O:p

I had seen the young man before and after. Before that day, he always wore shorts to the shower. Since, he always showers nude and walks around the locker room nude.

[Arnabas]

Lol. Awesome.
Sometimes kids have more common sense than adults...

[bill2me]

Walter05, that is a great story.

[Jeffreeofclothes]

We have a club in my area that I used to belong to that has individual shower cubicles. The changing areas are all open tho. I never bothered closing the curtain. Always hung out naked in the sauna, steam room an hot tub. That's how I developed a fondness for nakedness!

[Jeffreeofclothes]

Very interesting story indeed.

[walter05]

Taking a shower naked is not nudism. Being in a locker room is not nudism.

It used to be known as normal. I think it still is and so does my son.

[nudebushwalker]

Your story about being with your son reminded me of an incident with my son.
<O:p</O:p
We were in a locker room. He was already naked and I was getting undressed. There was a young man, perhaps around 20 in the locker room. He was still wearing shorts and I had seen him there before. He always showered with shorts and changed under a towel.
<O:p</O:p

The young man asked my seven-year-old son if he was embarrassed being nude.
<O:p</O:p

My son said that if he wanted to get clean in the shower, he has to be naked. He then said if you want to get clean, you have to be naked. He then asked the young man if he was there to get clean or look at others.
</O:p
The young man said to get clean and pulled the shorts down immediately.
<O:p</O:p

I had seen the young man before and after. Before that day, he always wore shorts to the shower. Since, he always showers nude and walks around the locker room nude.

Out of the mouth of babes...

That sort of parallels the fable of "The Emperor's Clothes", doesn't it - where it takes a simple and honest child's exclamation to show an adult how silly and baseless their ideas and preconceptions might be..

[Ken Palmer]

Hello MJ KC. Regarding how you feel about your body appearance, I think that is how most men feel about it. But it can be a bit different when it comes to women. A lot of them tend to be the ones who are more self-conscious about how their bodies look in front of other people. But then again, the diehard women nudists aren't going to care in general unless I am wrong.

Ken Palmer







I have a bit of a gut on me that refuses to go away and I am fine with it. That is how I am made and I sure won't be getting cosmetic surgery to correct it. If someone doesn't like my appearance, they are free to look at someone else.

[scubare]

Some people like privacy when changing while others. I am one such person: nobody ever sees me naked. There will always be people who want to be nude with others and they will always have opportunities to do so, i.e. by being provided with suitable places to enjoy their chosen recreation. I don't think you need to worry about "getting people into naturism" because they'll either want to do it or they won't. And the vast majority won't.

Stu

I am really curious, Stu, why do you even come to this forum? What could you possibly get out of it since you are totally against the whole concept and philosophy that we represent? :confused:

[scubare]

Taking a shower naked is not nudism. Being in a locker room is not nudism.

It used to be known as normal. I think it still is and so does my son.

Great story, Walter and I agree with you 100%. In jr high and high school PE and in the atheletic teams, there was one open shower, and one open locker/changing area. No big deal and no one treated it as any big deal. It didn't even occur to anyone to be embarrassed. It was just simply the way things were done. :)