Can An Introvert Enjoy a Big, Fancy Gym? The Jury Is Still Out.

Along with offering a variety of exercise, I definitely expect my gym to be a pleasant place. That is the bare minimum. Best case scenario, me, an introvert, leaves feeling happy and de-stressed. Do I care about saunas, tanning booths and smoothie bars? No. It’s more about the things I don’t want to deal with when I go to the gym. Here’s my list.

1. Sped up music tracks during class. No. Just don’t do it. There are plenty of fast paced original versions of songs. There is no need to butcher one of my favorites by speeding up the track. Worse, an annoying song is even more annoying when the pace of the music is off. I am sure instructors might make a case for needing the fast beat for the class, but that cannot be true for classes that don’t have a dance element. I don’t need a sped up version of 24 Karat Magic while lifting dumb bells.
2. Talking with friends during class. I am not a total crank. I get it, it’s a social time and fun to meet someone for class. That said, in no way do I want to listen to your conversation over the music and over the voice of the instructor. I am surprised how often this happens and that it’s not just a couple of comments — who would begrudge anyone that — but continuous conversations over a 55 minute period. Just FYI, we can all hear you.
3. Hearing the instructor’s life story. There’s a fine line between commiserating with the class and TMI. At my last class, the instructor asked us if anyone in the class worked for a particular airline because she was considering canceling a trip and wondered if she’d lose her money. Not a big deal you say? Maybe. But, I also know that she was going to have to cancel because her husband went hiking and got sick from the altitude and was still getting treatment and he wanted her to go because it was a birthday trip, but she just knew it would look terrible and everyone would judge her for leaving when he was sick. I’ll spare you the rest of the story, but I know a lot more about this instructor’s life than I want to at this point.
4. The uber peppy, screaming teacher. Does anyone like this? Is anyone really barely making it and relying on the teacher’s boundless enthusiasm and energy to get them through the class? I am assuming some people must like this. These are the same people that like yelling ‘whoop whoop’ throughout the class because . . . well, I don’t why. I love disco as much as the next person, but yelling ‘whoop whoop’ over and over doesn’t turn the room into a club.
5. The uninvited dance partner. Very few people should be this oblivious to social cues from their fellow classmates. If all you get is a brief smile and I don’t start to freestyle with you, then I really don’t want you getting freaky with me at Zumba class. I actually totally understand the impulse to let loose with good music. Personally, I need alcohol and my close friends around before that happens.

There’s actually quite a few classes that I do like at the gym and a lot of amazing teachers. Not every class is for everyone. I have no problem trying out different things to find the right fit. It does, and perhaps it shouldn’t, surprise me how oblivious some people can be to personal space, their own volume and social cues from their fellow classmates. Given that they probably aren’t going to set up separate classes for introverts, I should probably get used to the sensory overload at a lot of the classes. I will keep at it, but I don’t have to like it!