Gym Attire

It is no secret that many Americans are obsessed with gyms, working out, and being fit. Because I have often found myself at the front of the line to ingest whatever the media is doling out, I have certainly bought into the whole fitness phenomenon as being an "essential" aspect of human survival in this day and age of type 2 diabetes and clogged arteries. In fact, when considering my best friends, I very well might count my elliptical trainer back home as one of them.

So, since I am highly attuned to American fitness trends (further credence to my status as an "expert" comes from the fact that my brother was a personal trainer, a model for Reebok, and he appeared in Men's Health magazine several times--see, I have "insider" knowledge), I tend to notice workout gear and habits.

Even before this trip, I have long been fascinated by what people in Europe wear to work out. My interest was spawned the day I walked through the Englisher Garten in Munich and saw two men running in pressed khaki pants with their leather belts still on. And they are hardly the only people I have observed sweating it out in "normal" clothes. At least, it is not unusual to see someone jogging in France wearing loafers and a collared shirt. Yesterday, my husband and I passed a runner in the park wearing a black pea coat and ballet flats. She actually had workout pants on, but ballet flats? Someone better tell her ankles that they are in for a rude awakening very soon.

Because, as you now know, I am an elliptical-addict (don't tell my bestie back in the states that I am cheating on her here with a different machine), and because I like butter more than I like most things in the world, I decided that joining a gym while I am in France would be in my best interest. The woman who signed me up at my new Frenchie gym was lovely.

She was wearing a black, gym-like, top, and she had her hair swept away from her face in a ponytail; very "gym-like". She also wore three-inch heels and black leggings, the kind with the slashes up each leg that begin mid-calf and go all the way up the hip, that seem to be quite en vogue here. Not that this blog is R-rated or anything, but I am unsure she had the correct underpinnings on. Or any pinnings of the under variety.

Aside from the sort of "half-workout-half-hooker" look of the sales rep, there were other people wearing what I would categorize as "non-gym" attire. For example, one guy was wearing a button-down shirt on the recumbent bike. What?

People also drink tea and coffee at my gym. This socializing area of beverage consumption is, for all intents and purposes, located in the cardio area. So someone will be sweating it out on the rowing machine and then he will stop, sort of blot his forehead, and walk twenty feet to meet a chum for an espresso.

These sorts of shenanigans would never go down in an American gym. Cappucino next to the treadmills? For shame!

What I do (selfishly) like is that people are not really heavy into exertion at this gym either--at least not what I was used to at good old U.S. gyms where the guy next to me on the elliptical always seemed to be trying to outdo me (or was that in my "non-competitive" imagination?). Other than for a very select few people, most seem to be strolling through their cardio they way they might window shop on a lazy Sunday.

I tell you, my ego is feeling mighty fine. Level 4 on the elliptical and I feel practically olympic-bound over here.

I cannot wait to bring my brother to this gym--I feel like people might take a gander at his biceps and start asking for his autograph. I guess I will just sip an espresso in my disco-wear as I watch it all go down.