Contrary to the popular belief of those who know me, I actually like going to the gym. I love the feeling you get—that weightless, jello feeling in your legs and the burning in your lungs. But there’s just something about going to the gym that also brings about the most intimidating feeling. While it’s great to go, most places, especially here at KU, make you not want to come back. In fact, it makes some people just want to turn right around when they see people working out.
It’s not the “what” inside that scares people. It’s more like a “who.” We all know them: the “Gym Queens.” The girls who cake on make up, run on the treadmill for 10 minutes, do 10 crunches, and then walk out. I don’t know about guys, but I know plenty of girls on this campus who don’t even venture over because of the vibe they get. It’s uncomfortable to be surrounded by seemingly flawless girls who don’t even break a sweat while you’re drowning in your own, rubbing it out of your eyes like you’re running through a rainstorm. And ladies, I’m not just talking from a large and in charge kind of girl perspective. It’s not cool for anyone when you actually want to go to the gym to work out and all the machines are taken by people who are not even really using them.
The gym is not about appearances. The gym is about working out and getting fit. It’s about self-improvement; working out the stress of an exam or a long class. It may even be getting away from a pesky roommate. But either way, most people don’t go to the gym to look good to other people for 10 minutes. People go to work out!
I’m not calling for action; I’m calling for attention. Ladies—and you know who you are—please stop. It’s not helping you or anyone else who wants to really work out. If you want to meet a guy, talk to him. Don’t take up a machine to stare at him while he works out. Also, those few minutes you’re on the machine isn’t doing you any good.
Health classes teach the amount of exercise a person should get in a day. They teach that here in the classes at KU. And sure, it’s not a rule for everyone to follow, but if you’re serious about working out, about getting fit, then you need to be serious. Don’t go to the gym for less than a half hour to keep up appearances or try and fool yourself into thinking that the double patty burger you had at lunch will magically work itself off. You need to dedicate yourself, be serious and then you can probably get the changes you want. No one likes anything done half way. Play hard, work harder. That’s all you can do.
By Kayla Reichle
One response to “Student weighs in with KU gym complaints”
Lots of girls don’t Feel comfortable being in public without makeup, that’s the type of society we live in. Instead of shaming girls for giving into social pressures that tell them they need to look good every minute of their lives, I think we should focus on alleviating some of that social pressure. You can do this by supporting organizations that focus on more realistic and empowering portrayals of women , or you can Simply be a more selective consumer; I don’t go see movies that portray women in a way that I think has a bad social impact, for example.