Mommy...I'm scared of the spandex monster...

I just realized today that not only am I getting great physical benefits from the gym but it's turned out to be an environment that I truly enjoy.

Going in, my expectation was that it would be a place full of judgment and discomfort. Seriously. You've seen the commercials for fitness gyms. Bunch of skinny or muscle bound people running around in spandex or less, slappin' each other's butts with towels...with their biceps and their triceps and their quads and their gluteus minimis all flexin' about almost mocking you through the screen. All the while sipping on some high protein, low carb, super blugreen algae shake delivered to them in the sauna or at their shiny workout station between reps of 7,000lb leg presses or their third circuit of Hungarian dead lifts while they're spotted by their own personal trainer cloned from the combined DNA of Mr Atlas and Sheena queen of the jungle! Meanwhile, I'm sitting there, gluteus maximus firmly rooted to my slowly shrinking sofa, couch or davenport for those of you up north, munching on a day old pizza wondering why I can't look like that! Anyone else...I know I'm not alone in this...

What I've found is quite the opposite. It really is terrible how much many of us make of our own perceived sort comings, so much so, in fact, that we expect everyone else to pick up on it and react a certain way. It can be very unsettling or at the least confusing when our expectations are not met and we are, instead, treated with...*GaSp* respect... "Wha? huh? Respect? But I'm not worthy of respect am I?!" "Just look at how I feel about myself...I don't respect me why should others?"

Since I've been at the gym What I've found is that, first of all, people are generally much too into what they're doing to take time to be judgmental of others. Then there are the folks who take out one ipod ear plug long enough to ask you politely, if you are almost done with (insert equipment name here). And the ones who do really acknowledge you are the type of people who are typically genuine in nature and will often toss a sincere smile your way or ask you how your workout is going or if they have spoken with you before they may feel comfortable enough to jokingly scold you about not wanting to "catch you slacking on your workout". Women, who I know would not give me the time of day on the street engage me in genuine conversation as if there were none of the stereotypical physio-social boundaries that exist in the "real" world. Just being there and putting in effort brings with it a certain respect and even camaraderie that one might not expect until experienced.

I'm not sure why I wanted to bring this up except that I know that people can be afraid of taking that first step and getting into some sort of public/social exercise arena. I say do it! It'll do worlds of good for your self esteem and worlds of good for your health!