Dutch gym to introduce 'Naked Sunday'
By TOBY STERLING, Associated Press WriterFri Feb 2, 5:33 PM ET
Self-conscious about what you wear while working out? A Dutch gym plans to introduce "Naked Sunday" for people who like to huff and puff in the buff.
Patrick de Man, owner of Fitworld gym in the town of Heteren, said he got the idea in part from two of his customers who are avid nudists.
"I heard that some other gyms are offering courses on 'pole-dancing' as a sport, so I thought: Why not bring something new to the market?" de Man said.
He said the response had been overwhelming — positive and negative.
The 70,000-member Dutch Federation of Naturists was curious to see if Fitworld's plan would work, spokesman Bernd Huiser said.
"We recently conducted a large survey among our members, and most prefer to exercise with their clothes on," he said. "The most popular activities (for nudists) are things you do outdoors, like walking on the beach, or swimming in a lake, or maybe gardening."
De Man said the first question Fitworld customers were asking was whether it would be sanitary.
Nude exercisers would be required to put towels down on weight machines and to use disposable seat covers while riding bikes. All machines would be cleaned and disinfected afterward. "We clean them every day anyway," he said.
The first "Naked Sunday" is scheduled for March 4.
'Naked Sunday' at gym
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'Naked Sunday' at gym
Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. If it caught on here I'd be getting a Bowflex.
I was dreaming of the past...
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
A friend of mine who was a manager at the UVa Gym told me of a night where she and her boyfriend (at that time) closed the gym up, and then chose to do workouts in the buff. They did a little weights, ran around the indoor track, sat in the sauna...
I'm guessing that the novelty wears off for most.
I don't know about you, but I like having all my loose parts safely tucked away when handling gym equipment.
- Bill
I'm guessing that the novelty wears off for most.
I don't know about you, but I like having all my loose parts safely tucked away when handling gym equipment.
- Bill
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
That was my first thought as well. However...TSDguy wrote:
They're going to trust the customers not to spread herpes? That'll never work.
So it appears they have all their bases covered - if not their customers...Nude exercisers would be required to put towels down on weight machines and to use disposable seat covers while riding bikes. All machines would be cleaned and disinfected afterward. "We clean them every day anyway," he said.
I wasn't thinking herpes so much as fungus (tinea cruis, tinea pedis), staph, and other infections. Yours truly has problem enough going barefoot in a karate dojo. I use shower shoes in the lockerrooms, and I wash my feet off and go straight from towel to footwear w/o touching the floor. Gyms and lockerrooms are the breeding grounds of lots of nasty things.
But if you use various barrier methods (as posted above), then it could work.
I frankly wouldn't let people in a weight room w/o proper shoes. If their insurance people knew about this, I doubt they'd be able to keep coverage. I mean... Oops!
- Bill
