Sauna etiquette at the gym
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The locker room was completely abandoned this morning. I showered and laid out nude on a towel in the sauna. Twenty minutes or so later a guy came in the locker room, undressed and put on board shorts, grabbed a towel and sat at an angle to me in the sauna. I felt pretty awkward being so nude and on display when he was so modest. I continued to lay out but I ended up raising a knee so that he would have an obstructed view of my junk. Usually my sauna buddies are nude sitting on towels and there is not room for me to lay out. I don't know if I made him feel uncomfortable but I felt uncomfortable because I'm only able to be confidently nude and relaxed when others are the same.
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Life is too stressful to be uncomfortable, Especially after a work out. My post workout routine is something close to religion. Stripping down and siting in the heat is more important to me then what to eat or what is happening that day.
The conduct issue aside ( electronics, not showering etc) The biggest reason a lot of guys wear shorts, or towels or otherwise is because of the proliferation of guys trying to hookup in the steam or sauna, so so many guys whether they are gay.straight, or bi who just want to chill are constantly bombarded with advances or walking in on others. It is like an epidemic here in NYC lol. I mean just go into the craigslist missed encounters..every other one is about a sauna/steam hook. interruption etc. Even dudes who are into dudes, but who just want to use these things for what they were intended for cant catch a break.
The hygiene stuff...well it is what it is. some people are just fng gross. lol
The hygiene stuff...well it is what it is. some people are just fng gross. lol
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I can totally see how guys cruising for sex would ruin it for everyone, but honestly it hasn't been a problem where I live. I'm sure it happens here but it seems to be super discreet because I've not witnessed guys doing that in our local facilities. Not to say I've never been propositioned when away from home. .it did happen when I was in the US once.
The very forward behaviour towards naked guys in the sauna seems to be very much an American thing. The strong aversion to nudity in the US has led to it being far more sexualised I think. One time while on vacation in the US I was alone in the sauna, lying on my towel facing up as there was so much space, another guy walked in and sat down. I thought nothing of it and closed my eyes and went on relaxing. A minute or so later I open my eyes to pick up my water bottle for a drink and see that he is staring intently at me, has a full election and is masturbating! I said to him I don't think this was that kind of place (it was a spa facility in a hotel, not a gay bath house lol) and he could get us in trouble if he didn't put it away. He was good about doing that and giving me no further trouble so I didn't report him. BUT he did mention he thought I was signalling I was interested because I was showing my cock. Apparently in the US in some places nudity is so uncommon that those looking for sexual activity have made "opening the towel" some kind of signal, just like "tapping the foot" in public toilets (that one I learned about through the news, when a prominent politician apparently was caught in the public toilets at an airport tapping his feet and trying to get guys to gave fun with him lol).
So it is a vicious cycle that has to be broken somehow. Covering up has made nudity more sexual causing guys to harass those who are naked, which makes guys cover up to avoid the harassment, which reinforces the link of nudity to sex...and so on...
So my approach is to make people accept my nudity and do so respectfully by NOT changing my behaviour and reminding people to be respectful when they behave like that (and if they persist report them). I have never had to report someone for sexual harassment but I have done so when people kept bringing electronics in after being told it was not allowed, as well as being fully clothed and unshowered. In NYC it wouldn't surprise me that the sexual activity is a problem...all kinds of shit happens there that just gets ignored so that is probably why. Where I live such behaviour would definitely get reported (so do the dirty, mobile using clothed people, but since it isn't illegal they care less about it). But if the consequences are being banned and possibly arrested it would be a deterrent.
My usual gym has open showers (and therefore tends to be more nudity-friendly throughout the locker room). Therefore, I shower first and sit on a towel. Usually, about half of us have our dicks uncovered
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This, very much this.
I come from a country where nudity in same-sex environment is perfectly normal (in fact you will get plenty of weird looks and would probably get talked to if you show up in sauna wearing underwear), but in recent years this trend has been noticeable even there.
Young guys go to a lot of trouble to make sure they are covered because of this very reason: they don't want to be hit on. I spoke with some guys who are perfectly comfortable with same-sex nudity and don't consider the simple fact of disrobing sexual, and they too told me that they get a lot of unwanted attention, to the extent that they are changing their usual ways.
As sad as it sounds, but I sometimes think that people bemoaning the current prudish youth (myself among them) contributed to this trend.
Australia or somewhere else? What do you think has caused guys to sexualise being naked - when they have grown up in an environment that sees naked as normal?
We all want what we can't have. For the last several years, I've wanted to live in Slovenia. Bled or Ljubljana. It is an absolutely wonderful beautiful country with everything someone would need packed into a tiny space.
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My Y recently posted a new sign with the rules for the whirlpool in the men's area. A new item appeared that swimsuits must be worn in the whirlpool. Several of us agree that it was not on the old sign. The sign for the steam room has no such requirement. They are side by side. There has always been an occasional guy in a bathing suit in the whirlpool but the rest of us remain butt naked in the whirlpool, as before. Don't believe anyone has been called on it. Steam room is still with or without towel and/or sit on your towel, so I don't know what the rationale for the suit requirement is for the whirlpool. I could say that it is for concern for young boys but we have gang showers so they are going to see an adult penis anyway. There seems to be mostly bathing suits on teenagers in the shower and some adult men who by the looks of their appearance might be modest for religious reasons. It's a men only locker room, if one wants to be naked or not naked, it is none of my business. However, I once read that the reluctance of younger men to get naked might be due to several things: There is less PE in schools today and only jocks are exposed and accustomed to nudity, more young guys are shaving their pubes and don't want others to see them for fear of ridicule. And, young boys today can see lots of adult penises on the internet and thus can get a distorted view as to what an average sized dick looks like and are comparing themselves to mostly trophy dicks. That could be quite intimidating. I also agree that perhaps there is a homophobic element as well.
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I do not understand those that use the sauna fully dressed (even shoes/hats!) or those that use the backrest/railing to stretch while they put their grubby feet/shoes on the seats/walls/ceiling...
My "rules" for the sauna: 1) strip completely naked (except maybe shower shoes depending on the cleanliness level at your facility) 2) take a quick shower 3) Carry your towel to the sauna with you and quickly open the door and get in, closing the door as soon as possible. 4) if the seat looks like you should, sit on your towel, but since you just showered, you're ok either way 5) enjoy 6) when ready to leave, get up quietly and move to the door, exiting as efficiently as possible with as little door open time as possible. 7) shower again. 8) do not sit all sweaty or wet on the benches in the locker area unless you dry your spot with your hopefully dry towel. 8) dress normally at a reasonable pace. This is not a show, nor are you in a huge rush. 9) enjoy your day like the man you are.
My "rules" for the sauna: 1) strip completely naked (except maybe shower shoes depending on the cleanliness level at your facility) 2) take a quick shower 3) Carry your towel to the sauna with you and quickly open the door and get in, closing the door as soon as possible. 4) if the seat looks like you should, sit on your towel, but since you just showered, you're ok either way 5) enjoy 6) when ready to leave, get up quietly and move to the door, exiting as efficiently as possible with as little door open time as possible. 7) shower again. 8) do not sit all sweaty or wet on the benches in the locker area unless you dry your spot with your hopefully dry towel. 8) dress normally at a reasonable pace. This is not a show, nor are you in a huge rush. 9) enjoy your day like the man you are.
Gym norms vary, even in the same cities. Some gyms everyone covers up; some it's more natural. The fully clothed pre and post workout sauna crowd seems to have grown over the years, despite some gym saunas having posted signs forbidding clothing in the sauna/steam room. I confess I find a man shaving to be sexy, well provided the man is sexy so I don't mind a guy shaving in the steam room as long as he's taking care to wash his area. Lots of guys shaving their balls in the steam room. Again, no problem with that all at for me. Much prefer that over the guys who refuse to shower prior to entering.
I do find that the over 40 crowd is much more comfortable with male nudity and bonding in the steam room. Not sure what happened to the generation younger than that. Everyone's posting dick pics all over the net but afraid to get undressed in a locker room.
As far as cruising for sex in a sauna, I have to plead guilty. I don't necessarily go looking for it but if a hard cock presents itself, I have been know to suck it to completion. Mutual masturbation sessions are also pleasurable. I try to be discreet and I never make the first move. I have been pseudo-stalked by a few men with whom I wasn't interested in having in sexual contact but who nevertheless persisted. I think they are called locker room trolls. I feel as long as we avoid being harassing trolls in the locker room, there's no harm in looking for some mutually consensual and discrete man on man contact. I would never do anything that a third party doesn't like to watch or join in with. That's just rude. But if someone wants to watch me suck a cock, I got no problem with that either.
I also have overheard many guys beating off in the shower. Also no problem with that either. All men do it. So they want to end their workout with an orgasm. I think it's healthy and natural.
I do find that the over 40 crowd is much more comfortable with male nudity and bonding in the steam room. Not sure what happened to the generation younger than that. Everyone's posting dick pics all over the net but afraid to get undressed in a locker room.
As far as cruising for sex in a sauna, I have to plead guilty. I don't necessarily go looking for it but if a hard cock presents itself, I have been know to suck it to completion. Mutual masturbation sessions are also pleasurable. I try to be discreet and I never make the first move. I have been pseudo-stalked by a few men with whom I wasn't interested in having in sexual contact but who nevertheless persisted. I think they are called locker room trolls. I feel as long as we avoid being harassing trolls in the locker room, there's no harm in looking for some mutually consensual and discrete man on man contact. I would never do anything that a third party doesn't like to watch or join in with. That's just rude. But if someone wants to watch me suck a cock, I got no problem with that either.
I also have overheard many guys beating off in the shower. Also no problem with that either. All men do it. So they want to end their workout with an orgasm. I think it's healthy and natural.
tolsty17cm
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I recently changed gyms and noticed the same thing - fully clothed - (including shoes) cell phones - headsets with music - shaving etc.
And typically younger guys - I just don't get it!?!
And typically younger guys - I just don't get it!?!
I think it has something to do with guys who go to gyms near their home or something. Most guys can just workout, sweat and then head home for a shower where as some guys go to the gym straight from work, work out, relax and actually get comfortable in wet areas. Like, they treat it like a spa almost. I only see that during the day and sorta at night.
And then I think there's just a stigma of being looked at, etc...
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