The naked old guy at the gym

[JSD]

Walking around buck naked at the gym seems to be a generational thing. Older guys seem to have no problem shrugging off the towel and going about their business in their birthday suit, while the younger generations shave in front of the mirror or walk from the shower to the locker area with a towel around their waist.

Has anyone else noticed this? Does anyone have a theory? It's kind of ironic that the older more conservative folks are more open than the younger people when it comes to this. It doesn't bother me, I just find it kind of odd. I'm humored by it, actually. Maybe there is a naked old guy here on the forum that could provide me some insight? Were guys made fun of back in the day for toweling up after gym class or in the military? Like, "What are you hiding something" etc. etc. type ball busting?

[Eja117]

Ok. We have officially reached the Pretty Much Everything Has Been Asked or Stated on CB point.

[JSD]

Ok. We have officially reached the Pretty Much Everything Has Been Asked or Stated on CB point.

Any theories?

[Eja117]

I have absolutely noticed what you are talking about.

The official eja theory of senior nakedness......they have gotten to a point where supposed dignity is overrated.

The average older person (I'm talking The Greatest Generation or older) typically lived in a smaller house with more kids in it.

And some of the older baby boomers were at Woodstock.

Also I am telling you now older people have a harder time putting on clothes. The flexibility and whatnot required makes it easier for young people. A retired person with some mild arthritis has a pretty good excuse to procrastinate on putting on clothes.

Ironically this all flies in the face of the fact that older people have thinner skin and fat which is why they like Florida and wearing sweaters in the summer, but still.

[TheTruthFot18]

Ok. We have officially reached the Pretty Much Everything Has Been Asked or Stated on CB point.

Any theories?

No theories but its the same in the military (old days). I've been in a lot of old barracks that were open showers and "urinals" were open troughs 10 feet long and guys even today didn't have much of a problem walking around without towels. I just don't get it.

[DKClassic]

Society/culture changes over the years.

[Eja117]

I am telling you I just saw a commercial on tv (rent.com I think) with a naked senior with a walker. It wasn't legit

[jambr380]

Ok. We have officially reached the Pretty Much Everything Has Been Asked or Stated on CB point.

I mean, JSD should be showered with TPs for this topic - simply awesome.

Also basically agree with you about dignity and actually physically putting on clothes. I think they just don't give a crap and may enjoy giving people a show. I look forward to my future!

[Neurotic Guy]

Wow.  I know the problem -- but I'm not sure it's a generational thing.  I am an old guy and I am constantly amazed at the naked comfort of the guys at the gym (some young; some older).  I ALWAYS wrap my towel around and always get my underwear on as fast as possible.   There are guys (most younger than me, but maybe not exactly young) who stand in front of the mirror, shave, brush their teeth -- twenty minutes in front of the mirror buck naked.   Then, as comfortable as if in their own bathroom, stroll over to the toilet for a sit down.   
I try to get out of the locker room as quickly as possible.

Also, one guy (probably in his forties -- young, right?), who sits naked (bare butt) right on the bench in front of the lockers.  This drives me crazy -- he sits there as he contemplates getting dressed.   Of course I don't have the assertiveness in me to say something, but I always avoid the place where he sits (thankfully, he sits in the same place every day).   

I doubt it's a generational thing -- just a personal culture thing. Some people are just more/less inhibitted.  I'd be happy if more people were more inhibitted.



EDIT:  -- I am not as old as EJA refers to in his post, so maybe there is something to the "greatest generation" being more comfortable without clothes in close quarters. 

[knuckleballer]

It seems the cutoff is early to mid 60s.  Just a guess, but could it be related to military service?  So many more guys served in the military through the Vietnam war.  Maybe it was standard to walk around the shower rooms and locker rooms nude, so it's normal for that generation and older to walk around locker rooms naked.  While most guys younger than that did not serve in the military and aren't used to walking around naked.

I for one, hate seeing the old dudes t bagging the benches when they sit down.  I don't want to sit on something your balls just blessed.

[wahz]

I have absolutely noticed what you are talking about.

The official eja theory of senior nakedness......they have gotten to a point where supposed dignity is overrated.

The average older person (I'm talking The Greatest Generation or older) typically lived in a smaller house with more kids in it.

And some of the older baby boomers were at Woodstock.

Also I am telling you now older people have a harder time putting on clothes. The flexibility and whatnot required makes it easier for young people. A retired person with some mild arthritis has a pretty good excuse to procrastinate on putting on clothes.

Ironically this all flies in the face of the fact that older people have thinner skin and fat which is why they like Florida and wearing sweaters in the summer, but still.

I'm a 55 year old guy and have a few thoughts to add. I myself am modest and do not walk around the locker room naked. More often than not I go home to shower as I did as a kid after training as a hs and college track athlete. (I ran the Boston Marathon in 2 hours and 45 minutes in 1979 at age 19; good but not great and didn't keep at it long enough to max my potential).But 80% of the coaches I had would shower and walk around toweling off in front of you like it was nothing. To the point of it being odd if you ask me. So it may be that guys my age got conditioned that it was ok to act like that, but to each his own.
Although I am in good shape still, its hell to bend over to pick up my clothes in the am for about 5 minutes. So when its just me and my wife and no kids or grand kids, I grab hanging clothes and walk downstairs and do NOT make any attempt to put them on for ten minutes or so. So I could see that maybe some old guys just don't want to bend after working out. I sure don't. But there is no explaining not covering your stuff with a towel.

[knuckleballer]

A former colleague of mine used to hit a gym in NYC every morning before work.  For years he used to have to see Ed Koch naked every morning.  It was years later that he told me about it and he was still angry about it.  The story totally cracked me up.

[Neurotic Guy]

A former colleague of mine used to hit a gym in NYC every morning before work.  For years he used to have to see Ed Koch naked every morning.  It was years later that he told me about it and he was still angry about it.  The story totally cracked me up.

Yeah, that's not something you want to see every morning (or any morning). 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Pretty sure this is oblig:

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Yeah. I've noticed that in any gyms I go as well.

It could be a generation thing, or it could really be as simple as "the older you become, the more you don't give a you know what" theory. Does the more we grow older, the more were immune to embarrassment? It could be.