Full face of make up and hair done for the gym???

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Yes, I am being old and grumpy and judge before anyone says.

I've just got back to the gym after about 6m off, I stumble in with hair in a greasy ponytail and no makeup - because why would you, you're going to get sweaty and gross.

But it seems like a new species of gym goer has appeared in my little infancy gym. I swear, some of the younger women have full makeup on including lippy and contouring.

Wtf? Why? Are these Instagram people? Why would you bother? I look like a shiny tomato after the gym, doing 50 mins cardio followed by some weights.

It appears that some people now go in dolled up, do 15 minutes of fuck all, and then take photos of themselves standing with heavier weights than they used to work out.

Stop sitting on the fucking machines just to take selfies, I want to actually use them!!!

Ugh, I'm so old and grumpy.

@wowhie Why not? It’s achievable for anyone who follows (rather than the late 90s heroin chic with money). If someone sees an ‘aspirational’ influencer why wouldn’t it encourage a few of the followers to give fitness a go?

@wowhie cross post. I don’t disagree at all. If rather see more positive education at schools for health and well-being but the reality at the moment is many children get their lifestyle decisions from ‘role models’. Better they are in the gym than my role models - getting high all the time. It’s not going to fix youth obesity but it’s a positive photo to see rather than getting smashed somewhere and posting an arty photo about it.

Actually I don't want to bitch about Instagram in itself, as I go on it daily to see videos of rescue hedgehogs, and various other small animals being brushed with toothbrushes and such. So I apologise to Instagram as it's not all bad.

But it seems like a new species of gym goer has appeared in my little infancy gym. I swear, some of the younger women have full makeup on including lippy and contouring.

“New species” is bitchy. I mean, you get offended at being called Karen so I doubt you would tolerate “Old Species” well.

As others have mentioned, you do sound bitter and jealous. Maybe they just feel self conscious because a bunch of “old species”/women in their 40s keep staring at them and critiquing their every move? Or maybe they have lives and came straight to the gym from elsewhere where they wore the makeup. How do you know their hair was done especially for the gym?

Their lippy and contour is a non issue surely - how does that impact you?

This will sound nasty but so does your OP: as you get older you become invisible to society. As a 40 year old, you can comfortably go out without makeup on as no one cares - no one is paying attention to you to criticise you.

Whereas these early 20s women get all the attention (including from you!) and therefore may be more self conscious of their appearance as they’re constantly judged on it.

@LifeIsAMotorway I'm not convinced how much it helps, we are becoming a more image obsessed society whilst simultaneously seeing increases in obesity. I don't follow influencers as I'm not particularly interested in being sold too so am not the target audience.

They are not a new species, though there may be more of them. I remember 20 years ago four young women exactly as you describe OP. They probably set records for slow exercise bike riding.

@Wandav
It is not misogynistic to be irritated with people hogging gym machines for the purposes of selfies.

If you believe that feminism is about supporting everything that women do, how do you feel about sex work or surrogacy?
Or would you agree that actually it might be healthier to support women not to feel as if they need to appease the patriarchy by valuing themselves only for how they look?

As a 40 year old, you can comfortably go out without makeup on as no one cares - no one is paying attention to you to criticise you.

That's a load of crap. I'm in my 30s & know tons of women in their 40s who do attract attention.

My DS showed me his stunning friend's Instagram/Snapchat short video post of her lifting weights. Lovely fat lump in the background pounding the thread mill (reflected in the mirror)....me..

I also find the whole privacy thing quite uncomfortable.

To be fair I was that young woman who was made up and hair done at aerobics 30 years ago.
Now I'm 56, fat and consider it a win if I make it the gym these days!!!

Well I read the title On active and it cut off at “gy….” So I thought it was about getting dolled up to go the gynaecologist. So
In comparison putting on make up for the gym seems normal!

@wowhie well not, we are of an age where influencers don’t really hit us anymore. Bit young people do - whether we think it’s a good thing or not (I do agree that it’s not - it just adds more ideals for young people to live up to), the reality is that they do follow influencers. So I’d rather they at least aspired to follow ‘healthier’ habits rather than the ‘thinspiration’ (something I remember in the early 00s) and that kind of vibe. It’s at least showing a healthier way to live.

Lots of people falling over one another to prove they’re better than other gym users somehow. “Oh me? I just go in in a bin bag and half of last night’s curry smeared all over me I don’t even care what I look like”. Give over, it doesn’t make you a better person

@tatasa

My DS showed me his stunning friend's Instagram/Snapchat short video post of her lifting weights. Lovely fat lump in the background pounding the thread mill (reflected in the mirror)....me..

Good for you for running on the treadmill aka using the gym for its intended purpose! I bet I looked fabulous on the treadmill today in DHs old tshirt and my knee support.

I'm starting to suspect from this thread that I might be the odd one out for rarely ever wearing full make up

There's a massive difference between someone going to the gym with their 'work' hair and makeup intact and someone who's made the effort to freshly apply a full face of makeup and do their hair as if they're going out out, just to pose on the machines at the gym.
FWIW OP, I get you. Totally. It would rile the crap out of me too. I don't think you sound jealous or grumpy either. You're totally right 😊😊😊

To be honest I like wearing make up even if it is in the gym. I care about my kit as well. I'm not in great shape at the moment for various reasons but I'm not going to add to my woes and look worse than I have to!!

They're trying to pull. I used to do it.

@Susannahmoody

They're trying to pull. I used to do it.

I admire the honesty. Did you pull?

As a 40 year old, you can comfortably go out without makeup on as no one cares - no one is paying attention to you to criticise you.*

^

Christ. Very complimentary.

@LifeIsAMotorway I think the ideals have just changed but are equally unrealistic so don't see it as healthier personally.

I used to wipe the fucking floor with them, op, I really did

Every time!

@Susannahmoody

I used to wipe the fucking floor with them, op, I really did

Every time!

Ha!

OP I'm with you. It's not about the make up, it's about the weird behaviour being so widespread.

And if anyone is sitting and on their phone for too long on a piece of equipment, I ask them - smiling sweetly - if they are going to do any more reps. 90% of the time they apologise and get straight off.

I learnt this at a very cheap gym with a massively male, young, student demographic. If you didn't gently nudge them they would just sit chatting on the machines for hours but not actually do exercise at all