July 1, 2021

In this newsletter . . .

Subscriber
Insights

I’ve written that in my youth men and women, with few exceptions, never worked out in gyms at the same time. Today, of course, men and women sharing health club workout space is common practice.

Yet some women subscribers have said that common practice or not, they often feel uncomfortable in coed gyms. This should not have surprised me, but after all, I’m a guy. I had posited that having women in the gym with men tends to have a civilizing effect on male behavior. Overall, I still believe that is true. Yet I also realize it takes only a few knuckleheads to spoil things.

After reading the women’s comments, I thought back to a time not too many years ago when a man where I worked out pestered regularly a pretty, young receptionist (probably still in her teens) as well as getting pushy with some of the female members. They didn't appreciate the man’s advances and the word got out to the management. I forget how it was handled, but the gym did get rid of him. Though not as flagrant as this guy was, ogling women as they work out can be enough to make some feel self-conscious and a reason for seeking women-only venues.

Most guys have better manners. But not all. Unfortunately.

Another subscriber wrote: “Thank you for not making blatant sales pitches for supplements.”

The supplement business is a multi-billion dollar industry with little regulation or oversight. And there’s probably no reason for using the majority of the stuff they sell, that a diet of good food provides enough of what what’s needed for most people.

But I didn’t always think this way.

As a young muscle-head, I gobbled vitamins like crazy and wolfed down God only knows how many home-brewed protein drinks, containing ingredients that today cause me to gag just thinking about them. Now I take a couple of things my doctor suggested. But that’s it.

What changed my thinking? Maturity, mostly, and digging a little deeper into the subject.

For example, reports from independent testing sources show that many supplements do not either (1) contain the amounts they claim or (2) they include fillers and sometimes harmful substances.

I subscribe to ConsumerLab.com, an independent laboratory that tests supplements, vitamins, minerals, and herbals and reports on their findings. I have no connection with ConsumerLab, other than being a subscriber, but find them a valuable source of scientific information.

Even so, you may not need supplements anyway, even if they actually contain what they claim is in them.

Check with your doctor if you suspect you’re lacking in something. Get tested. Don’t overload your body with substances you may not need. It wastes money and some can be harmful.

Stay healthy. Stay fit.

Logan

Senior Exercise Central

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Sincerely,

Logan Franklin
The Gray Iron Fitness Newsletter
www.senior-exercise-central.com