Going to the gym here has been an experience in itself. Just check out what Molly has to say about some interesting visits!
The Forma gimnasio was a smart investment - at around 109 thousand pesos for a student rate two month membership, which is around 55 U.S. dollars, we found a deal easy on the wallet & healthy for the mind and body. The two-story, modern building is about a 15 minute walk from Carlos E. and is packed tightly with machines on the first floor, and cardio equipment, classrooms, an outdoor patio, and the locker rooms on the second floor. We try to get to the gym four or 5 times a week and alternate between working out on our own, downstairs at the weight machines and upstairs on the treadmills, bikes, and stretching/abs mats and taking some of the many classes offered.
Before getting into details and funny stories about working out and classes, I'd like to take a second to point out some general observations about working out here. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most people use the gym as their own time - time to de-stress, not worry about how they look, and to sweat out any frustrations. Well, here, the gym is a social setting. The girls come in their real bras (read: not sports-bras), tight spandex, hair done, make-up fully on, low cut shirt? check. We even saw a lady in heels on the stair-stepper one day. The guys are funny, too. Sleeveless shirts, hair gelled, legs and arms shaved, always so conscious of who is checking them out, sure to return the stares; the only time they don't notice someone eyeing them is if they're too busy watching themselves lift those heavy weights in the mirrors surfacing every wall of the gimnasio. There is an ubiquitous sexual tension in the air at the gym - it's hilarious. Us girls are the only girls in t-shirts, sports bras, and running shorts in the gym, and we're usually the only people actually running on the treadmills; most people walk - heaven forbid you actually break a sweat, right?! We look gross at the end of the workout: bright red, sweaty, and feeling good about it. We stand out compared to these perfectly toned and beautiful people who look like they're about to film commercials for the gimnasio! Love you, Forma.
Cassidy and I are regulars at the cycling classes. These not only kick our butts, but are incredibly entertaining. Usually, we go to this one instructor's class who is a young, good looking, guy who, I kid you not, somehow manages to salsa dance while on the bike. He has us move our upper half up and down in a rhythmic, obviously-salsa-inspired movement. It's hilarious to watch the class in the mirror struggling to do this while keeping up with the pace, and then to watch this expert do it with such ease. The music is super loud - Madonna, Shaggy, and other artists' songs set against fast techno beats whose pace the instructor can quicken on a little machine at the front of the room. Andrei, Cassidy, and I attempted the Tae Bo class one day, which turned out to be the exact opposite of relaxing, which is what we had anticipated. We were not prepared to sweat and pant as much as we did. Then, there comes our favorite - the Rumba class. Carolina, Andrei, Cassidy, and I have braved the inevitable laughs at being gringos and attended this class several times now. The music ranges from Beyonce's Single Ladies to salsa music to African-dance-drum beats. The class is packed every Monday and Wednesday night with teenage girls, young professionals, and even older couples. We stick out pretty badly - our bodies are a little more robotic than our fellow classmates'. The classes are so much fun. In the end, I'm thrilled we found a gym here - it allows us to work hard, interact in Spanish in a new setting, and to release mental stress built up from long days of intense family stories and plenty of editing.
--Molly Superfine
