Events at the gym

by Kavita Balvally

One of the things I like to do in my leisure time is go to the gym. I was reluctant at first, thinking that nobody but muscled bodybuilders went there, but I was completely wrong.

A few years ago, I was horrified after climbing a flight of stairs to be out of breath. A young person like me, wheezing like an asthmatic. I decided I should get fit and now going to the gym is probably one of my favourite things to do. It keeps me fit physically, and if I was ever chased down the street by a madman late at night, I think I could probably outrun him.

The only time I really get to go some days is in the evenings from between 6-8pm. That’s when the whole population of the world seems to have descended upon the gym and the aquatic centre.
There are people on their way home from work, students like me and high school kids with their parents. The gym area is a hot, crowded noisy box that makes me feel overwhelmed. The cardio machines are often occupied and we have to take turns on the weight machines between sets. Plus, there are sometimes never enough dumbbells for use (damn that woman who hogged both 5kg sets. Karma, woman, karma.)
Nonetheless there are incentives like the massive TV screens everywhere where you can watch your favourite program or the plenty of hot male eye candy around (the patrons and the instructors.)

The main idea is to relax and keep fit at the same time. I don’t carry my i-pod with me, but I like to listen to the music from the overhead stereo system. I often run in beat to the music on the treadmill, and count beats while doing abs or arm exercises.

Gyms are also a great place to people watch. Not only guys, but the girls as well. Sometimes I tend to find myself in a competition to see who can do more reps with the same weights. Most of the time though, the other person has no idea she’s in a competition with me. There’s no point trying to pace myself with the guys though; they can probably lift the same amount of weight I do with just one hand.

The other day, a group of construction guys came in after work still in their gear, but wearing sneakers instead of their usual work boots. They were clustered around a machine talking. Maybe something to do with their work?
Nooo, of course not. They were gossiping about what they did on Saturday night and some of them even took out their phones and were comparing photos. It made me smile, watching them bust their guts lifting weights one minute then laugh and giggle away the next.
The gym is a veritable place for relaxing, pushing yourself, keeping fit and people watching. Why did I not discover this haven years ago?