Working Out at the Office Gym - Cool or Creepy?

Naked Lunch Break

Dear CC: My company has a gym, but I feel uncomfortable

hanging around naked in the locker room in front of my peers, my supervisors,

and my direct reports. Am I being a prude?

An entire generation has grown up not having to take gym

class, or at least having the use of separate, enclosed showers/stalls/potties

everywhere instead of the more "family style" environment CC endured (remember

the shower scene in Carrie?). So, for the less well versed, some basic gym

etiquette: Drape towel discreetly, proceed with due speed, keep conversation to

a minimum, avoid accidental mooning. Don't break into dissertations about

long-term strategic options for the company while clutching terrycloth to your

chest. Psychologically, it's not a great thing, perhaps, for underlings to see

the boss with her hair down, as CC has pointed out in the past, and in the era

of cell-phone photography and blogging, personal discretion is more important

than ever. But in general, the locker room is the great leveler - everyone

feels equally queasy about their dab of cellulite and slightly droopy left one.

Get in, get out, and as they say in gym-speak, "Enjoy your workout!"