Changing gyms creates new set of anxieties

I’m being evicted.

No, not from my apartment. My chair here at the office is still mine as far as I know. And no one has tossed me from any bars (lately).

Instead, I’m being evicted from my gym, a place where I’ve been spending a lot of my free time.

It’s not as bad as it sounds. The Bangor Y’s Second Street facility, formerly known as the Bangor-Brewer YWCA, is limiting the hours of its workout room to afternoons and evenings, a time when I’m at work. That means starting Oct. 2, I’ll be heading over to the Y’s Hammond Street building, which used to be known as the Bangor YMCA.

I’ve been griping about this for the past few weeks because I’ve come to love the YW. It’s a low-key crowd, very well air-conditioned and sort of like a family. It’s also lightly used during the day, which is why the Y decided to limit its hours of open use. Makes good business sense.

I have to admit I’m making the switch to Hammond Street with a bit of trepidation.

See, the men were one of the reasons I like the YW. Most of guys there are married, a bit older, or both. They’re known quantities. I never felt checked-out or wondered if a stare was for any reason other than I had been over the time limit on the cross-training machine.

Now I’m headed across town to a more male-populated gym. I’m not sure what to expect.

Will I have to buy some cute workout outfits to replace the near-pajamas I usually wear? Will I have to wear makeup, or at least tinted lip balm? Is it OK if I sweat, or will I have to glisten?

Apparently I’m OK to be myself, according to a friend I consulted with earlier this week.

My friend Craig, who grew up in the Blue Hill area and used to work at the Bangor YWCA, is now living in Orlando, Fla., working at what has got to be the world’s biggest Gold’s Gym. It’s open 24 hours a day and has more than 12,000 members.

Craig told me he has noticed that as more people have become interested in fitness and healthier lifestyles, the gym has become an increasingly important social outlet. So naturally more and more people are meeting dates there.

But it’s important to watch people’s demeanor around the gym, Craig advised, because it’s clear some are there for the social aspect, while some are there to work out.

If you’ve spotted a cutie at the gym and you’re considering making a move, his or her demeanor is a good indication if you can approach them. If they’re in and out in 30 minutes and keep to themselves, they’re probably just there to work out. That’s fine. But it may be an indication they’re not into the social stuff.

Craig also addressed my big makeup fears. No, you don’t have to dress for a night on the town, he said, but know that if you’re checking out the scenery, it’s likely you’re also being checked out. So while I refuse to wear makeup, maybe I should ditch those oversized gray T-shirts I always wear.

From my own observations and guesses – I’ve never met a date at the gym – it certainly seems easy enough to strike up conversations at the gym because there’s obviously a common interest.

But I hate to think what happens if things go wrong. I know I see many of the same people when I go, and I can’t imagine running into a former boyfriend there every other day. It’s not like switching grocery stores to avoid an ex. The gym is a routine for most of us. We have to go at a specific time each day, and it’s hard to change because of work hours or other scheduling issues.

Change is on the horizon for me, however. I’ve been weaning myself in, going to the YM on weekends. It’s been fine so far. There are a lot more machines there, and the big-screen TV will make it easy to watch football on Sunday afternoons.

It’s still a bit strange. I got my first taste of it two weeks ago. There I was, sweating away on a machine when a man starting walking right towards me. He was looking my way, looking, looking … until he veered off down the hall towards the water fountain and locker room.

I admit, he was pretty attractive. And there are double the men at Hammond Street than any day at Second Street.

Maybe I can get used to this after all.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at jbloch@bangordailynews.net