If I knew of a gym in my area that had open showers, it would be at the top of my list to consider joining. AFAIK none exist in my area aside from schools, military installations, and Korean spas.
Interesting points mentioned in the thread and video. I agree that family size attributed to privacy which is carried on to public settings where that notion is not as practical. Trying to appease every ones perspective in public settings has caused more separatists in our society. Being nude is and will always be how every human enters the world. Enjoying nudity is something that has been lost. Is it from privacy due to smaller families? Maybe! Is it from hypocritical people who say, "No nudity around me!" but will visit places that either allow, expect or at least encourage you to be nude? Maybe! I think those that squawk the loudest are the ones that want to appear to be "pure" but hide behind their dseire to be nude oitside of their homes and are afraid of what others will think about that view.
If more people would allow nudity, this world would be a happier place.
I just missed the era of swimming nude at the Y and wished we could have afforded a membership and gone as my first experience of communal showers was in middle school after gym class. Everyone, was required to shower! When that ceased, there were way too many smelly kids in class after gym! EWWWWW!
If more people would allow nudity, this world would be a happier place.
I just missed the era of swimming nude at the Y and wished we could have afforded a membership and gone as my first experience of communal showers was in middle school after gym class. Everyone, was required to shower! When that ceased, there were way too many smelly kids in class after gym! EWWWWW!
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We still have them at the plant I work at its great!! There's talk about building a new change house and I'm sure they would build it with private showers. All this talk about trans gender and other sexual things is killing the communal showers! Let's all just shower together no matter you orientation!
This is an amazing video and is completely consistent with the research I've seen as to why guys have become more modest in the last four decades in the US. It should be handled like a sticky in threads like this. lol It all comes down to an increase in the expectation of privacy due to decline of family size and increase in privacy at home with no nudity in front of others.
Ok, here's a quick sketch I made, but why can't shower rooms be designed like this? Cubicles with curtains, showers along a wall with urinal type dividers, then Bradley poles in the middle.
I've also included 2 urinals in the shower because nobody should be peeing in the shower. Gross.
Someone uncomfortable and wants a curtain can have one. If after a while they feel more comfortable, they can graduate to the wall with dividers, have somewhere to turn in case they feel uncomfortable. From there they can graduate to the Bradleys.
By design, this can allow someone to take baby steps on up as they get more comfortable with their body. The 1/2 wall between the shower and the drying area is so someone can't leave a hidden camera on a bench in the drying area and spy on the shower.
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I've also included 2 urinals in the shower because nobody should be peeing in the shower. Gross.
Someone uncomfortable and wants a curtain can have one. If after a while they feel more comfortable, they can graduate to the wall with dividers, have somewhere to turn in case they feel uncomfortable. From there they can graduate to the Bradleys.
By design, this can allow someone to take baby steps on up as they get more comfortable with their body. The 1/2 wall between the shower and the drying area is so someone can't leave a hidden camera on a bench in the drying area and spy on the shower.
I love your nuanced view on this subject. I have seen locker rooms like this (minus the urinals). I love showering naked (thus my screen name), but do think that their should be a more modest option for those who do not share my comfort level. Nudity was scary for me when I was young and closeted because of the fear of getting aroused which would have essentially outed me, so I was very relieved that gym class showering had been phased out of each level of schooling a year or so before I started. I found my comfort with nudity as an 18-year old college student in a dorm bathroom that had individual stalls, but with shower hooks on the wall on the opposite side of the room, so there was some limited nudity except for 2 or 3 of the most modest guys who hung their towel over the towel bar. Modesty was more split regarding the wait time during peak times when there were often a few guys waiting for a shower to open. There were more towel hooks than showers, so some guys would hang their towels as soon as they got there and wait around naked, while others would wait for a shower to open. This gave me the chance to gradually acclimate to being naked around other naked guys. As this became routine, the erection risk faded. This then enabled me to start using the college gym showers which were fully open--and because towels were available at the shower, involved nudity throughout the locker room. Going to the gym was often a group activity among my floormates, and of the group would shower together after. I initially skipped the post-gym shower, but started joining after I had sufficiently acclimated to extended nudity in the door bathroom. It felt incredibly masculine and confident to be able to participate in this male bonding activity, which was only possible because I had the chance to get passed the erection challenge through acclimation in a setting that enabled baby steps.
These guys are completely unaware of their nudity. Not sure when it was filmed but I doubt it could happen in the US anymore.
Once the curtains appear it won't be long before the towel dancing starts if it hasn't already.
I'm sure it will be the same story that our customers are requesting it. They dislike the openness and being seen nude. They've never been in a situation where they had to be.
I didn't have any experience nude with others either. No brothers, and showers were generally not required in gym class. When the coach did say take a shower *very rare) we would run into the locker room and quickly wet our hair in the shower, then return to our lockers before the coach got to the locker room.
My first real experience was in my 20s. I'd go to the gym at off times when I figured I'd probably be alone in the shower. I also would spend 20 mins in the sauna after my workout. I'd be so sweaty, I'd have to take a shower, no matter what.
I'd also take the corner shower... If I felt uncomfortable, I could turn to the corner. Between the sauna and use of corners... I finally got over it.
A shower design like I posted would have been a great help to me. As far as the urinals go... I think it should be part of a regular shower setup. I almost put a toilet with them. I often find mid shower that I need to shit. I left it out because I don't think a toilet sitting in the corner of the shower room would be used unless it was a military installation... And a military installation would not have various levels of privacy available.
Same here. Old school. Group showers been the norm since junior high then the 90s hit and then the anxiety and towel dancing hit. The gym I used to go to was one big naked arena with a huge whirlpool, steam room, sauna and large open showers. No one even thought of covering up. You hung your towel up and enjoyed it all.
Then guys started showing up and showering in their underwear and I was like WTF. Then the gym had a “renovation” which gutted it all and it’s never been the same since. Something open and free has been lost. Meanwhile the anxiety ridden generation to whom they bowed to still won’t use the showers because you still have to risk exposing yourself even if you do the towel dance.
I think its a shame that we are moving more and more towards a very prudish society. Its interesting that most people seem to think this is due to the shrinking family size. This is possible. Houses have gotten bigger and families smaller, so kids nowadays do have a lot more privacy than they used to. However, I have a different theory. I think that the emergence of privacy barriers for bathrooms, stalls for showers, etc, has more to do with a sort of awakening and awareness in society that gay ppl and nonbinary folks exists.
I grew up in a small family. I showered with my cousin when I was little, but other than that, my parents were pretty prudish I think. I went to the Boy Scouts and again, other than changing once in a blue moon in front of a friend, I don't recall being naked around anyone that much. There is one exception to this, but that's one time in maybe 20 years?
My first time showering in a gym was a very interesting experience. I remember being very nervous. I was probably in my mid twenties. After a couple of times of doing it, I got used to it. It was a great experience and I think it is very liberating to do it. I probably showered every day, usually with one or two random ppl and sometimes with ppl who I knew from the gym, for years...
I feel bad for this generation. They will never know the joys and camaraderie of showering at the gym
I grew up in a small family. I showered with my cousin when I was little, but other than that, my parents were pretty prudish I think. I went to the Boy Scouts and again, other than changing once in a blue moon in front of a friend, I don't recall being naked around anyone that much. There is one exception to this, but that's one time in maybe 20 years?
My first time showering in a gym was a very interesting experience. I remember being very nervous. I was probably in my mid twenties. After a couple of times of doing it, I got used to it. It was a great experience and I think it is very liberating to do it. I probably showered every day, usually with one or two random ppl and sometimes with ppl who I knew from the gym, for years...
I feel bad for this generation. They will never know the joys and camaraderie of showering at the gym
Back when I worked downtown in Seattle, I’d go to the YMCA before/after work. When I first joined it was my first real gym and open shower experience, so I recall being a bit nervous. But I think I quickly got comfortable there. It was nice to appreciate all the different bodies while also sharing my own. Catching a knowing glance could lead to some fun too. I am youngish but I am sad but not too surprised they are becoming less popular unfortunately.
I think its a shame that we are moving more and more towards a very prudish society. Its interesting that most people seem to think this is due to the shrinking family size. This is possible. Houses have gotten bigger and families smaller, so kids nowadays do have a lot more privacy than they used to. However, I have a different theory. I think that the emergence of privacy barriers for bathrooms, stalls for showers, etc, has more to do with a sort of awakening and awareness in society that gay ppl and nonbinary folks exists.
I grew up in a small family. I showered with my cousin when I was little, but other than that, my parents were pretty prudish I think. I went to the Boy Scouts and again, other than changing once in a blue moon in front of a friend, I don't recall being naked around anyone that much. There is one exception to this, but that's one time in maybe 20 years?
My first time showering in a gym was a very interesting experience. I remember being very nervous. I was probably in my mid twenties. After a couple of times of doing it, I got used to it. It was a great experience and I think it is very liberating to do it. I probably showered every day, usually with one or two random ppl and sometimes with ppl who I knew from the gym, for years...
I feel bad for this generation. They will never know the joys and camaraderie of showering at the gym
Thanks for sharing your insight ........... your comments certainly provide, IMO, valid perspectives
I have never been prudish for as long back as I can remember. In 2017 I became a nudist; not for sexual reasons. It is for that sense of no barriers. People at nudist resorts are generally very social persons.
I feel that augmented prudishness is going in the wrong direction. Communal showering, especially after sports, is a male bonding experience.
As far as our Boy Scouts group went, nudity was the norm, especially camping and swimming. It was a great period and I feel it benefited all of us.
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Same here: I grew up in a house with my mother and younger sister, so there was ZERO nudity at home. But also: No shame.I think its a shame that we are moving more and more towards a very prudish society. Its interesting that most people seem to think this is due to the shrinking family size. This is possible. Houses have gotten bigger and families smaller, so kids nowadays do have a lot more privacy than they used to. However, I have a different theory. I think that the emergence of privacy barriers for bathrooms, stalls for showers, etc, has more to do with a sort of awakening and awareness in society that gay ppl and nonbinary folks exists.
I grew up in a small family. I showered with my cousin when I was little, but other than that, my parents were pretty prudish I think. I went to the Boy Scouts and again, other than changing once in a blue moon in front of a friend, I don't recall being naked around anyone that much. There is one exception to this, but that's one time in maybe 20 years?
My first time showering in a gym was a very interesting experience. I remember being very nervous. I was probably in my mid twenties. After a couple of times of doing it, I got used to it. It was a great experience and I think it is very liberating to do it. I probably showered every day, usually with one or two random ppl and sometimes with ppl who I knew from the gym, for years...
I feel bad for this generation. They will never know the joys and camaraderie of showering at the gym
My middle school had communal showers, but after that, I rarely undressed completely naked in front of other guys until I was 20, and going to the gym regularly.
I’m unsure what has affected younger men, but it’s definitely taken its stranglehold: At my gym/spa, everyone over 40 walks around completely naked, while everyone younger completely covers up, does the towel dance, or wears swimsuits into the sauna/steam/whirlpool/showers.
The upside to getting older is the great amount of life experience you gain. The downside is that your body isn't as tight as it used to be; perhaps more difficult to have a hard-on like steel, etc; both stages have pluses and downsides.
If you go to a nudist resort, which I have many, many times, the age group leans more towards the older crowd. They are more life experienced and confident in themselves. Gone is the focus on the body and more towards emotional & social fulfillment.
Perhaps younger people don't have that confidence to be naked; they are concentrating on their physical appearance. Pity; that is unnecessary emotional drama
Just saying ........
I've never heard of anyone judging another man's junk in this environment. Even when we were all growing at different rates during the mandatory shower days in junior high no one ever ever made fun of anyone.
I've gone to the spas in Germany where there was nudity amoung the sexes and families. It's very much a societal issue I know.
Exactly. Fear and anxiety has gripped the generation and lead to a host of bad outcomes.I feel bad for this generation. They will never know the joys and camaraderie of showering at the gym