Is it wise to go to the gym?

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Usually cities have a 24/7 gym. I guarantee you can go to the gym at night and no one will bother you and there will be no distractions. Because there’s no one there besides you. It’s what I do.
 
Baggier than the latex cool stuff we would normally wear and then contemplate how they fit us better while we get thinner and more fit…in the mirror.
Not like I’ve never done it though. It feels great ok? But if we are to be going only for the sports we xan buy that tshirt one or two sizes bigger and so on.
 
This is a good illustration of how scruples can lead you down an insane path of increasingly more paranoid worrying. By this logic, you really should stay in your house all day with the curtains drawn and a blanket over your head. After all, you could hear a sexually suggestive song or encounter some sexual imagery anywhere. You could pass a Victoria’s Secret advertisement on the way to mass. You can’t live your life in some kind of airtight shelter.
 
As a bit of a side-bar, my wife were talking about this yesterday when dealing with the issue of nudity. I’m a former “gym rat”, namely one who was in gymnastics in high school and college and continued to play on in intramural sports at various schools and also playing racquetball for many years as an adult, so being naked in public was commonplace. And I used to be quite shy and self-conscious about my body when in junior high.

I guess I can summarize how I feel about nudity this way: it’s just a body. And right now, since I’m at the age of 72, it’s quite a wrinkled body.
 
I would just like to point out that threads frequently come up with someone who is enduring scruples.

It is not helpful to add layers of advice on how to avoid this and that.

The helpful advice is to find a good therapist and/or priest and begin to trust.

Details and suggestions relating to the issue simply add to the agony, they multiply the scruples.
Just my opinion and personal experience.
 
As someone who suffers quite a bit from scrupulosity, I can tell you that no good comes from asking these questions online, especially on CAF. While many well-intentioned people will reply, it quickly becomes clear that they have no understanding of this condition and the advice they give is often enough to drive a hyper scrupulous individual to suicidal thoughts. Please speak with your priest. I also recommend the following article which has helped me quite a bit, though it’s not directly related to your question. https://fatherdoyle.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/scruples-and-their-treatment.pdf
 
I go to the gym. I love the gym. Back in the day I rolled with men and women in Judo. There wasn’t anything sexual or sinful about it. (Hard to think bad thoughts when a woman is throwing an arm bar on you).

Don’t over think this. Keep a modesty of the eyes, both for yourself and for the women who have the right to go and train their bodies without being ogled (assuming you’re a man). Maybe get a heart rate monitor to know how hard you are working. Keep a workout log.

Are some gym clothes over the top? Yup. But in my experience if I’m working out hard enough and focused on it enough that is more than enough of a distraction to keep from checking people out.
 
Great point. I can’t recommend this enough. And maybe see a therapist if you aren’t already. I had HUGE struggles with anxiety and scrupulosity (I used to think my rosaries didn’t ‘take’ if I didn’t say them JUST RIGHT). With some therapy, a good mens group, and daily reality checks I’ve been able to get it under control.

If the gym is causing you huge amounts of anxiety/scrupulosity, talk it out with someone who is qualified. You’ll get there.
 
Ugh. They don’t want my kind. I wear a hoody and sweats to get a nice sweat going. I lift heavy weights. I listen to my headphones. I am generally silent about it but occasionally I audibly strain. To them, I’m a ‘lunk’. My own body builder gym has been way more welcoming to all walks. But that’s just in my town. I realize YMMV.
 
Here’s my take on it:

The advertisements, the radio music, those will be part of the atmosphere everywhere you go, unless you just stay in your home and never leave.

The muscle diagrams? Should a medical student not study anatomy textbooks? Should an art student not learn to draw or paint the human body? There’s nothing wrong with this.

Immodest gym members? Look, people go to the gym in workout clothes. Shorts and a t-shirt, tight-fitting clothes, something like that. That’s not immodest, that’s appropriate dress for the situation.

You’re worrying too much. Go to the gym. Work out. Practice keeping your eyes to yourself. You’ll be fine.

As you say, if you’re worried about the radio, or the advertisements, listen to music with earbuds, and then you won’t be exposed to any of that.

And as to people’s dress, this (and I say this in the most friendly possible way) is your issue, not the issue of your fellow exercisers. Learn to manage your eyes and thoughts.

You’ll be fine.
 
Where do you live? I don’t mean for you to give me a specific address. What are your options in terms of gyms? Is there only one available?
As with anything, shop for the place where you will feel the most comfortable. How are you treated by the staff? Do they make you feel self-conscious about your body, or in this case body conscious in an unhealthy way?
I work out at the YMCA. It has a swimming pool and I am under doctor’s orders to swim. I’m also under doctor’s orders to use the whirlpool afterward, which happens to be in the locker room. I have the option of going to any YMCA or a specific YWCA in town. I did go to the YWCA once. It’s whirlpool is not in the locker room. That’s not a problem for me, but it may be for a more sensitive individual.
What do I wear when I work out? I wear a regular T-shirt, and what are called yoga pants. They are loose fitting and come below my knee.
I really don’t pay much attention to what others wear. It does seem that most wear regular T-shirts, that cover the shoulders. A few might not. That T-shirt is worn over shorts, tights, or even a old sweatpants. I haven’t noticed any immodesty.
I don’t worry about levels of undress inside the locker room.
The adult locker rooms are separated from those used by anybody under the age of 18. Phones, because of cameras are not allowed in locker rooms.
There is no body shaming or anything to bring greater attention to the body.
As others have already stated, relax a little. Your purpose for going to the gym is fitness, not sexuality.
If you still have concerns, do speak to your pastor about those concerns.
Consider what options are available where you live. Shop for the place where you feel the greatest comfort.
 
Hello.

Loud music and immodesty. I agree those are things to be concerned about if you are trying to live a genuine, spiritual life. If you have scruples then it’s probably best to discuss this with your confessor.

Are there any alternatives to fitness for you? There are lots of sports. Do any attract you, look like they could be fun & contribute to physical fitness while not being an occasion to sin ?
 
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