To feel embarrassed about walking around naked in gym changing rooms?

[IShouldNotCoco]

It isn’t because I dislike my body or anything but I do feel incredibly awkward about just stripping off and walking around. Is it upbringing?

I am quite envious of all the women who seem totally unbothered about doing this. If you’re trying to get changed without exposing everything, you’re definitely in the minority at my gym.

So I’m wondering how common it is for people to feel the way I do?!

Actually I've noticed the opposite, never seem a young fit person doing this

Just because some people have never seen it, doesnt mean it doesnt happen!

I have only seen it in one place which was very posh and expensive (I got free membership as my sister was the manager) where a gym session seemed to be an all day activity, but not seen it a the more run of the mill gyms where people go, workout, leave.

So perhaps it depends on the type of gym.

Yes I completely comprehend where you're coming from & to me, it's just self respect
Funnily enough the secondary school I went to, most of the pupils were like this
But when I worked in a gym, thankfully most of the women valued their privacy & didn't flaunt themselves
I guess maybe vibes rub off, because energy is tangible
But you're most surely not alone in your preferences & principles & you're also completely permitted to stick with them
God Bless You&Yours
💚🌼💚

I’m at DL, attend 2-3 times a week and women frequently walk around naked. They are different shapes and sizes. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I assume they are very comfortable in their own skin. I have issues with my tummy (Diastasis Recti) so would never drop my towel completely as I just feel too self conscious about my stomach pouch but no issues showing my boobs whilst getting in my bra etc.

I do like the DL changing rooms. There are also only 2 cubicles in mine as well but as you say, the ambient lighting and vanity bar makes it quite pleasant. My branch has a spa so I’ll occasionally use that and then just chill in the changing room, pretending I’m on a mini-break somewhere. Yes I’m sad like that😂

and I am stuck with the larger ladies who need to expose everything instead of using a towel, just to show the rest of us how confident they are in their larger-than-life body

How is that fair 😂

It’s definitely a female shame thing, which is probably societal conditioning that female bodies shouldn’t be seen. Men don’t generally give a hoot and at my gym they don’t parade around but equally don’t hide away.

Of course it isnt.

Its perfectly normal to get naked out of gym clothes, shower and dry, put street clothes on.

What isnt normal is making a perfomative point of being naked to show off, there is a massive difference and can be seen a mile away.

AROUSED FANJO jesus christ

I am a member at a DL,been going 18years,notice the odd woman naked whilst getting dressed,but I have never seen anyone walking around naked! I find the idea of doing that weird.

Been called a bitch on occasions ... never been called a bloodhound! 😂😂😂

I think you should definitely have a choice here and the right to privacy.

However, it woould seem highly unlikely your gym would be build privacy changing cubicles.

But l would mention it to them anyway.

I hotels abroad, l have ofen used toilets in the hotel and near the pool as changing rooms when there were none available.

🌻🤞😻

By using a cubicle. Open changing rooms are not necessary

You are totally fine OP - not unreasonable at all.

I certainly would not parade around naked in a gym!! I find it way too communal for that. Only my partner my see all my glory haha not something for everyone 😅

Not the gym, but swimming once, i remember a lady coming out of the showers naked. One foot up on the bench drying all neither regions and nooks and crannies.

In one way, good for her to NGAF, on the other, bit much 😳

Bloody hell! If l had a pound for everyone who had seen me naked l’d be a rich gal!

lt’s normal to be in a shower naked so it’s normal to come out the shower naked. And to dry yourself. As others have said up thread, if someone is naked, why are the suddenly referred to as “parading”?

I think it can be upbringing. I've done it in the past and would still do it if I was somewhere that I don't know anyone eg a spa away from home but I wouldn't do it at my local gym where I may see someone I know. I'd be mortified!

why do you think it's more acceptable to be unclothed

Let’s turn that question around. For those saying it’s not appropriate/acceptable/necessary/whatever, why do you think that about nudity in a gym changing room?

Plenty of other cultures have being nude in changing rooms, saunas, beaches etc as perfectly normal and not even worthy of comment, let alone censure, so why do you think otherwise?

Are you envious of someone else’s body/confidence? Or do you somehow think naked bodies are shameful? Something else? Is it just women or do you think that about men too?

A lot of places (most?) aren't comprised solely of cubicles. It's a much more efficient use of space to be at least partly communal. If everyone waits for a cubicle, it'll take forever. And waiting forever for a cubicle when there aren't many of them but there is plenty of open space is what's unnecessary. There's nothing indecent or wrong about a single sex communal changing area.

There are also security and safety issues with cubicles, which is why the open plan thing has become so popular if not the norm. Needles and syringes have been found in cubicles.

I can't believe nice gyms don't have cubicles as standard. I'm glad my local authority gym (in a crap town) has clean, dry cubicles. I wouldn't go anywhere that didn't have a cubicle.

Been there for twenty years and never found a syringe in them. At worst a couple of primark labels and food wrapper.

I've never belonged to DL but I have belonged to many gyms and leisure centres all over the country, from the cheapo places to quite nice private ones. All of them have had a small number of cubicles and plenty of communal space. One of them had a unisex "changing village" of cubicles including larger family ones, but it also had single sex spaces either side of it with the usual layout.

It's better if you've got kids with you, it means more people can use the space at once, it means you can spread your stuff out a bit more if it's not too busy, it is safer in case someone collapses (although there's often a big gap under the door and the lock is usually more of an indication not to come in, you could break it in an emergency) and it's also just... fine! Single sex spaces for changing, nothing indecent or untoward about them.

Personally I've never seen anyone "parading" around naked or blow drying their pubes. Most I ever saw was a naked woman moisturising very thoroughly and waiting a couple of minutes for it to sink in.

Especially not Germany! Saunas are nude there, I believe it might even be illegal to wear swim wear in one

People do what they are used to, and what other people are doing. I grew up in the UK and never saw people just walking around naked in changing rooms, absolutely was not the done thing, everyone trying to change under a towel. Then when I was 20 I moved to Finland and went to public pools, where people do walk around in the (strictly sex segregated) changing rooms, and shower naked in the open showers (which you have to do, its a strict rule and you will get told off if you shower in your costume before going in the pool, as happened to an American friend of mine), and of course sit naked in the sauna chatting to each other. It was a huge culture shock and it took me quite a while to adjust to it, but now I'm perfectly comfortable with it - I get undressed in the changing room, walk naked to the showers, shower naked, then get my costume on, and go to sauna naked after swimming and chat to whoever is in there, with zero discomfort or awkwardness. I've come to appreciate it, its a different feeling of shared femaleness when you're all naked together, and it makes you feel more comfortable with your own body, flaws and all.

Exactly my experience (although not Finland). Changing is relaxed and comfortable here as opposed to the UK where everyone is embarrassed or apparently judging you for not being embarrassed! No wonder people have so many body hang ups.

It so much more relaxed - no one is trying to change awkwardly under a towel (with the exception of some girls going through puberty, which is perfectly understandable, and they tend to grow out of it once past the teen years) and people chat to strangers so much more than usual (for Finns) - its like being naked uninhibits them.