A Few Catty Observations From the Gym

I've been enjoying workouts at my new gym for a little over a month.  I remain enamored with the gym-quality ellipticals and the excellent range of workouts they offer.  Though I mostly read and listen to my ipod while I run, I have had the chance to make observations of my fellow gym rats.  And so I offer these thoughts…….

I am forever surprised to look up and find men --- burly, manly, men of all ages --- watching USA network re-run chick movies while working out. What is that about?

Is there anyone on the planet who likes to use a Stairmaster?   God knows that the Stairmaster girls at my gym have impressive backsides; you can't argue with the effects of these machines. But hanging on, hunched over in seeming pain and misery just doesn't seem like an enjoyable workout, effective though it may be.  I hereby declare the Stairmaster a 21st century form of self-abuse.

Finally, what is the deal with the sweat towels people bring to the gym?  More than once, I've seen men wipe their sweaty brow with a flowered dishtowel.  One wonders what the misses will think when she discovers that towel in the family laundry.  I use inexpensive white towels that can be easily bleached and made fresh.  And I am a distinct minority.

No doubt there is a fellow gym member wondering about the weird woman wearing the odd t-shirts and reading the NYT magazine while she runs.  To which I respond...to each her own?