Being shy about nakedness - a British thing?

[lottieandmias]

I've noticed that loads of women at the gym seem to walk around naked without batting an eyelid. I'm way to shy to ever do that. Am I hung up or not? I don't mind them doing it if they want to but I never could.

I'm with fourteen, I sunbathe topless but only when I'm abroad. It's not comfortable doing it in the UK as the attitude toward those wishing to do this is horrible. FWIW, I don't agree with page 3 either. It's not the same thing!

I have no problems with being naked, my DS is used to me walking around in the buff and doesn't seem to be scarred by it.

BelleVida I have no idea what that woman you're talking about is doing at the gym! Sounds odd but she's not harming anyone.

I just don't get it. The shock horror at nakedness in a communal gym changing room. I go regularly and at least half the women shower and wash hair with swimsuits on. Why? I find that just as weird as they probably do with me being naked.

No one I know struts around at all. There is one lovely woman who is in her late 60's who showers naked, grabs her towel, comes out and gets dressed. No flaunting but OTOH no shyness at all. And that's me too.

My friend who goes with me occasionally finds it horrible 'women with no clothes on' shock horror. I can't get into her mindset AT ALL. I don't thrust my body in someone's face, I have my towel just by the shower to grab, but I'm damned if I'm going to be ashamed of my body, stretch marks, scars an' all.

The only people I notice in changing rooms are the ones that are comfortable naked and have no spacial awareness.

I've been in the situation where I've dropped my wristband thing whilst sitting on a bench, leant down to pick it up and someone stretched over me to get to their locker. If I had Angelina Jolieesque lips I would have ended up giving her accidental oral!

They're just bodies, a variation of a theme. Doesn't worry me if you want to towel dance but I'm not faffing around with putting my underwear on when I'm not properly dry.
We went to a big hotel Spa in Austria where cozzies were banned, there were all shapes & sizes and no one batted an eyelid.

Genuine question: how DO you get changed from the gym, shower, dry off, and get back dressed without being gasp naked? I don't see how it is possible. In my gym the towels are pretty small, and I'd have to be a contortionist to attempt a full change under one of them. Plus, I don't want to wrap my sweaty body in the clean towel that I am going to use after my shower, so yes - I walk to the shower naked. No one has knowingly fainted yet.

I get people not wanting nudity in places where it isn't "normal". But in changing rooms - well - you use them to get changed in. Normal?

I love sunbathing topless and have gone to the nudist part of beaches in France because I love swimming naked. Again, no one has died or melted away. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes and it is awful to think that people live with such shame and embarrassment.

DL are notorious for this! i go there on a semi-regular guest pass and on those 12-days things. i absolutely love DL, and I hate clothing. usually I go quite late so there's not many people in there so I do walk around in the buff. I was always told that bodies are bodies and nothing to be ashamed of. it's only a bit of skin. I wouldn't bend over to wink at the other ladies though, and don't see why they do it. put your bag on the bench. don't bend over, bend down if you must.
bodies are bodies, but there is a very fine line between "oh thats fine" and "get your fanny away, love!!"

My friend liked to get naked in the changing room and I told her that I wasn't prepared to have a conversation with her until she put her knickers on.

This thread needs a bit of Sid.

Nudity doesn't embarass me in safe, repectable company.
So many Brits associate adult nudity only with sex - and shame
In most other EU countries, it would be considered mad - and unhygenic - to shower in a swimsuit indoors, or change under a towel. Those countries tend to be less promiscuous than the UK, not more.

Also, I wonder how many UK women give up early on bfing because of anxiety that some stranger may see a boob. Embarassment seems a factor for some women.

I don't know why, but the UK seems to be becoming more intolerant of casual nudity: many gyms have replaced communal showers with cubicles, even school kids seem far more bothered by communal changing rooms now.

I'm at ease being naked in communal changing rooms and showers. Some of us walk around naked while doing hair, makeup, chatting.
That's NOT strutting

• no deliberate showing off my muscles; I'm just relaxed about casual nudity.

I don't criticise those who don't want to strip off < shrugs > your bod, your choice. Just don't demand I rush my routine so I can cover up my body because you are embarassed.

I've visited mixed saunas in Germany & Sweden on my own, then jumped naked into the cold pool afterwards with everyone, no embarassment just goose pimples, brrr

btw, re the poster who asked about after mastectomy etc: I saw women missing a breast, a bloke missing a leg, many with scars and very elderly with wrinkle - they were naked & accepted like the rest of us, noone blinked.

I've never seen anyone strut around either. I think that's very much an individual perception.

Just cos people don't scuttle about shame faced doesn't mean they're strutting.

I think it is very healthy to see a wide range of shapes, not just perfect air brushed ones.

BigChoc If I was in Germany or Sweden I wouldn't hesitate to show my post mastectomy breast but not here. There is a different culture in Europe. I lived with a naturist family in France and nudity was about being comfortable. Here naked bodies are totally linked to perfection and size 8 and sexuality.

i am not overly keen on getting naked in the gym showers we are quite prudish as a society

my friend is german and thinks nothing of it, in the the states from my experience its a no no

when a went for to a Turkish bath in tunis i was surprised to see the women in paper type knickers, and they thought nothing of washing each other , full nudity was a no no but the intimacy i was taken back by i am quite able to wash my own chest, stomach and legs thank you

seabream you don't have to go to the continent to sunbathe topless or nude. There are plenty of beaches in the UK where you can sunbathe and swim without covering up. If you avoid busy resort beaches you can usually find a quiet corner somewhere. I never cover up on the beach and have never had a problem.

Even though I am thought to be a prude I have sunbathed topless abroad, but only if I was lying down and actually was sunbathing. I always put my top back on if I got up.

i The only people I notice in changing rooms are the ones that are comfortable naked and have no spacial awareness.

Oh gods yes. I don't do the towel dance or anything, I'll get dry and then put some clothes on. I don't mind if people are happy doing their hair naked/semi dressed in bra and pants /wearing a burqa. I don't honestly tend to look, I'm getting on with getting ready and getting on with my day. BUT PLEASE WATCH WHERE YOUR BITS ARE! I've been sat on a bench tying in my shoes and someone has bent over to get into a locker and her bits millimeters from my face. It would have been pretty awkward if she was fully clothed, but naked I felt like I was getting an un-asked for private dance.

I wouldn't sunbathe topless, but that's mainly because I'd end up with weird white patches as my tits made a dash for my armpits.

I am not sure what the point of topless sunbathing is tan wise. it's not like many people will see.

i am a brit and i am happy naked/not bothered about nudity (i come from a very open family - still naked/bath/shower in front of each other never close the bathroom door when we go to the loo etc). But i don't think i flaunt it or strut .

My routine at the gym (or it used to be when i was allowed out of the house on my own) was shower & wash hair, wrap towel round me then walk to the bench (bench all around the changing rooms against the wall), face the wall and put each leg up on the bench drying myself and applying moisturiser. turn and sit on the bench. lean forward and towel dry my hair and wrap it. still sitting down put on pants and bra. walk to dryers and blow dry my hair while the moisturiser is soaking in. walk back to the bench and get dressed. i never look at anyone. i did occasionally notice people looking at me but it was only when pregnant and i was humungous. there may have been pity there.

I think people struggling under a towel draw way more attention to themselves.

i would never sunbathe topless tho as i have hideous tits.

I like your style MrsKoala. However I can't imagine your tits are any more hideous than mine!!!

*Sparklingbrook it's not about whether you have white bits.
Its just that you can feel much more comfortable not being restricted by bits of cloth around the top or the bottom. And swimming naked is absolutely wonderful - you feel so free and liberated. Do try it!

I find this thread an equal measure of fascinating and strange. I just can't get my head round anyone showering after a sweaty gym session with a swimming costume on. Do these people cover up at home? In front of young DC's?

I wonder if the same people who hate women showing their bodies in communal changing rooms are people who would hate a full body massage? I have a couple of friends like this - hate scalp being massaged, hate massage of any sort, hate anyone touching them. They are the same ones scurrying around under a towel. Whereas I like the whole lot. I've had massage abroad and you wear the tiniest thong paper knickers, it was divine.

I have tried it Sally. See my earlier post. I'll give naked swimming a miss though if in public.

derxa That's sad. The UK association of nudity with sex can be cruel - the relaxed continental acceptance of all bodies seems so much more civilised.

I don't swim in the UK, but I've never belonged to a gym where body shape - without scars - was noticed. Or tbh, a gym where size 8 folk and perfect makeup were anything but a minority < I'm size 8, but I'm lucky if I remember lipstick and unholey socks >
I've obviously chosen nerdy gyms where fellow fashion disasters and strutters go !

Rousette the thought of a massage makes me shudder. Personal space invasion- I can just about cope with eyebrow threading.

My idea of hell=Spa Day.

Sparkling my theory is correct!

I love being massaged, seriously love it. I like it deep and strong and it's better with a male masseuse for that. I have fluttery smooth light massage. AND I take my clothes off in the gym. It's all making sense now!