Gym Wear – How Much Skin Is Too Much Skin.

A woman is in the gym going through her new weights routine, slowly getting the hang of the machines. Suddenly a fit, toned and very tanned woman who looks like a fitness model starts using the machine next to her. The fit woman is wearing a tiny pair of shorts and a crop top. The first woman continues on with her workout, feeling very uneasy. On the way out, she makes her thoughts known to the gym’s manager. The manager approaches the shirtless woman and tells her the gym’s dress code doesn’t allow clothes that ‘belong in a strip club,’ and asks her to put on more clothes.

This was the case earlier this year in the Northern Territory. A young woman was approached by a gym boss and told her outfit was unacceptable for his gym. She was told the gym’s dress code doesn’t allow crop tops or short shorts in order to protect the interests of the different sizes and shapes of other gym members. The story swirled the internet and opinion was divided on how the gym handled the situation. Half believed the outfit was ‘inappropriate,’ while the other half said it was her right to wear what she wanted.

This is where my brain really starts to hurt. Baring skin at the gym makes complete sense to me. You’re hot and sweaty and if you’re doing it correctly, you’re moving around. Clothes can be restrictive. It makes sense to remove layers in order to cool down and get comfortable. However, for a woman who is fighting with every inch of her being just to step inside a gym, seeing a woman without a shirt on and shorts the size of knickers can be demoralizing. But who is really in the wrong?

I wear a singlet over my crop top at the gym, but the moment my inner six-pack decides to poke through (if it ever does) I can almost guarantee that when I’m melting away inside the spin room in the middle of summer, I’ll be ripping my singlet off. After having two babies and two caesarean sections, I believe it will be my right!

So what is considered appropriate gym wear? I’ve put together a checklist that may help you decide.

• Can you do your workout while wearing it?
• Do you like it?
• Does it make you happy?
• Are you comfortable wearing it?
• Does it meet your gym’s dress code? (Very few gyms have a dress code, but those that do generally like their members to abide by it.)

If you answered yes to these questions, there’s a good chance it’s appropriate to wear while working out.

What do you think? Is it ok to bare skin at the gym?

Jessica Greenwood is a mum of two young girls and is married to a true blue Australian cane farmer. After travelling, studying and eventually working as a journalist Jess has now settled down in her home town of Cairns, Queensland to raise her family on the farm. When she’s not running around with her kids or cleaning up after them, she can usually be found in the gym or off the beaten track training for an extreme event. The rest of the time she is usually writing and enjoying the peace and quiet while her adorably noisy kids are asleep.