Get on your bikes and ride!

I was visiting my mom recently and she was telling me about her “gym.” She belongs to Curves – the ladies-only 30-minute workout place. I’m really proud of her for going and working out three days a week. She’s 69 and a breast cancer survivor. So, good for her.

But, I have a hard time imagining myself at such a gym. The ladies-only aspect has a certain appeal – no men ogling a woman’s jiggly bits – but, on the other hand, no men for me to ogle. Where’s the motivation in that?

Plus, my mom tells me that her Curves personnel had to remove posters from the walls that told people how many reps they should be performing. They had to take down information about goals because some of the women couldn’t do that many reps and it “made them feel bad.” Maybe I’m wrong but isn’t the gym about reaching goals? Maybe that’s the point of a ladies-only gym – to perpetuate the stereotype of the “weaker sex.” Now, granted the Curves clientele is probably mostly older ladies but they have to realize they’re going to get chicks like my mom who are in there to kick butt and not just wimps who can’t open a jar of pickles. And, they have to cater to the butt-kickers as much if not more than to the wimps.

Someone like my mom joins a ladies-only gym because she’s self conscious and wants to work out with others of a like mind – but even she gets irritated with the “little old ladies.” That’s my mom – it only took me this long to see how much like her I am – and how much like her I want to be.