Workout, really?

Hi Friends,

I am very happy to see your encouraging responses to my blogs and it is a great feeling to know that what I write is touching some right chords somewhere. If my stories make you laugh even a wee bit, or they make you smile or even if they make you cry (though I genuinely hope that’s not the case too often…and I definitely hope they don’t make you feel like pulling out your hair), I would feel content at doing my bit. At evoking some emotions. Some of my friends have been suggesting me to write about a particular subject, so that I (meaning my Blog) can get a better hit ratio and a better SEO ranking. But really, I don’t have a fixed agenda here. I am here just to share my thoughts. I am not really writing to address any burning issues per se. I just write. About mundane. And through that, I know a lot of my friends are revisiting those pages of their lives that are filled with humdrum moments and are living it again, albeit momentarily. They are pausing to think some and reflect some and are also seeing the fun side of it.

Today I thought of sharing my observations on one such regular thing – Gym. What is about Gym that I want to share, you may wonder? Loads – I would say. Have you ever observed the people at Gym? I am always amazed at the kinds and kinds of people living in this world, and Gym-regulars form just a subset. I think there is no way you can put people in broad category boxes.  We are all so different. And it wouldn’t be entirely wrong if I say that there are as many categories as many people in this world.

I have been gymming for close to 7 years now…and I think I have made enough observation and have pooled enough experiences to back my theory. The people who go to Gym can be broadly divided into two main categories:

1. People who come to work out
2. People who think they come to work out

Now the first category (It’s a very small percentage) people are usually very committed to the entire exercise regime. For them, it’s not just a passing fad. They are not just regular; they actually come with some set-goal. They are focussed, attentive to the trainers and they actually feel guilty on the days they are not able to make it to the gym. They are warm and amicable but otherwise they have a clear demarcation in their mind; gym is a place to work out primarily. Not to make friends, gossip or bird-watch (which let me tell you is a major agenda on the list of many). They are self-motivated and don’t need anyone to push them to exercise. It’s also seen that they usually come alone. They come, smile at the receptionist, change into exercise clothes, work out, exchange a pleasantry or two here and there, change out of their work out clothes, smile once again at the receptionist on exit and go home.

The second category forms a majority. These are the people who make a maximum fuss about their weight. But they don’t want to take any real efforts. They buy expensive Gym-wear, footwear, protein shakes, and all the paraphernalia that go with the Gym. And amongst all this, they lose focus from their primary goal. They are not really self-motivated and hence highly irregular. They would hold on to the treadmill, chat up with a friend and keep it occupied.  Someone back home has to push them every day to use their membership fruitfully. They usually come in groups, have a merry time, talk, gossip, hit on girls/ boys (as applicable) and if in between somewhere they remember to exercise; they do a set or two.  When they see the needle on the weighing machine hasn’t moved one bit, they make a maximum fuss. They curse the Gym, the trainers, their hormones and everything they can possibly pass the blame on. They would spend more time lounging in the reception area than on the exercise floor, they would call for attention in any way possible. They would flaunt their gadgets, phones and do all the unnecessary things. They will flirt, hit on the opposite sex. Especially the guys, they want to know every girl’s name, whether she is single, whether she is on Facebook, what are her vital stats and in order get all that information, they will keep finding excuses to bump into them. They want to drop every girl home and earn some quick hot-brownie points. Some of them also are known to change their timings to match with that of the chick they are trying to get attention from. I am also fully aware that the girls are no less these days, but generally speaking, we at least have a few decades to go before we match up to your boisterousness (to put it mildly).

*** Since I am girl, and have been at the receiving end much too often, I would like to make a special point, at the risk of sounding sexist. Why do boys keep staring? And if they want to, can’t they be a little discreet about it? I mean, I agree that the attention sure is flattering sometimes, but not such an unabashed, and sometimes even voyeuristic display of thoughts. How can they not look away even when you catch their eye while they are staring at you? You can wear the most modest of the clothes and even then they won’t spare you. I mean we are not living in a barbaric age anymore, are we? How many more years are they going to take before they can finally digest the fact that there also exists another species called, ‘the females’ that has an anatomy only slightly different from theirs? However clichéd this dialogue may be, but it expresses our exasperation the best. Ghar mein Maa behen nai hai kya?

(All my guy friends are going to be in a temper reading this, and are not going to agree to this, I am sure. May be I am generalizing a bit too much, but even behind every lie is a grain of truth, haven’t you heard? But I mean no offence here; just wanted to drive a point.)

The reason I shared this story is because I am so amazed to see different kinds of people and i love observing them. I  am ever so intrigued. I bet Gyms can be an interesting ground for people who love sociology and psychology.