Four times a week (two morning and two afternoons), I've been hitting the local gym (shout out to B&G Fitness). Through my gym sessions I haven't only lost a little weight, but also learned several life lessons, most of which I learn through my adventures of getting ready for work in the gym's locker room.
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| (not the actual locker room, but you get the idea) |
1) Always check your gym bag to make sure you have everything you need.
When women have to get ready in a location other than their home, they have it a LOT harder than men. While Josh just packs a change of clothes, towel, deodorant & body wash that doubles as shampoo, I have to take my clothes, makeup, hair products, straightener, blow dryer, deodorant, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a towel and wash cloth. Because that list is so extensive, I always forget things and end up doing something like having to wear a sports bra with a strapless dress (luckily I was wearing a cardigan over said dress) or wearing running shoes with my dress pants.
2) Make sure your outfit looks okay/coordinates before packing it
When you are at home, you have the option to change clothes several times if an outfit doesn't work or isn't fitting right. At the gym, you're stuck with what you brought. Last week I discovered a pair of pants were a little see through only AFTER I had showered and was getting ready at the gym resulting in my underwear shining through all day. Also make sure an outfit isn't stained or too small.
3) PACK A ROBE
For the love of God, do not be
that girl that walks around a locker room naked. Not acceptable. In a gym, your temperature is at the mercy of the thermostat controller so it will probably be hot - in addition to already being hot from showering in a steamy locker room and the usual "getting ready" hot you already are. So in order to stay comfortable, and to make others around you comfortable to (in a different way), wear a robe instead of either a) embarrassing other people by getting ready naked or in your undies or b) sweating to death in your clothes for work
4) Be aware of your iPod or other MP3 device.
By "be aware" I mean the following:
* Do not turn it up so loud that you don't realize you're singing really loudly until people are looking at you funny
* Don't forget you have it on and climb in the shower with your ear buds still in
* Don't wear it while you're getting ready just because you don't like the music the gym is playing - this could result in getting the chord tangled around your curling iron or burning the cord with the straightener (true story).
