GYM Embarrassment

Many things can go down at the gym to make a girl blush – splitting pants, sweat stains in … unseemly places, B.O., goofy yoga poses. But this, particularly feminine, situation I did not think would be among the list of embarrassing gym problems.

Last week, I after my standard 6:00 a.m. workout, I took a show and started getting ready for the work day. As I had a meeting with a client that day, I dressed up a little. I had a great sheath dress made of an orange-sherbet-colored, dotted-swiss fabric. Perfect for summer.  After my months of working out – it fit perfectly! But… I couldn’t zip it all the way up.

Every single woman knows this experience. The contortion required to fully zip up some dresses involves dislocating your own shoulders and doing a bridge pose at the same time. I had no time to mess with it, so I figured I’d simply ask one of the women at the gym that morning to help a girl out, leaving only about 3-4 inches at my shoulder blades unzipped.

Yep, we’ve all been there.

I finished primping everything else and left the showers only to find that there were no other women at the gym.  I found Shane, the gym’s owner and the most … avuncular character there to see if he’d help me.

I approached and said, “Shane, can I get your help for a sec?”

He said, “Sure thing.”

“I can’t get the rest of my zipper, would you mind?” I said as I gestured to my back of my neck.

Shane said, “oh sure.” But another trainer at the gym – who is a little less … avuncular, said as Shane zipped me up, “Oh I thought you were going to ask for him to zip it down!”

Har. Har. Har.

I responded in the most dignified manor I could manage – which wasn’t all that dignified. I said in a mock laugh “eh heh heh!! You’re hilarious.”

The tone and my response was apparently funny to the rest of the 3-4 surrounding gentlemen and they all joined in the laughter.  I was blushing a little bit, but I was zipped and ready for the day.

I skittered out of there and on to a very productive work day.

Only today, on a call with Lorraine, I learned that the story of my 3-4″ zip up got around the gym – NATURALLY. Though I was laughing on the phone with Lo, I felt my face heat with a blush that I’ve not felt in quite some time.

So moral of the story? Make sure the clothes you take to the gym to change into after your work out are easy to affix to your body without assistance. Or… invest in one of these babies:

ZipHer