Conformity In A Gym

Conformity in a Gym Setting The gym can be an intimidating setting to some, while others may feel at home in the gym. There seem to be many preconceived notions of what a gym is like, who is generally found in that setting, and the behaviours that are regularly performed there. In a gym setting, it is easy to see what is ‘normal’ - minimal interactions with people unless accompanied by a friend or trainer, athletic clothing worn, headphones in, and so on. It is also relatively easy to see people who do not fit into these ‘norms’. I am interested in looking at the concept of conformity in a gym setting, particularly how people perceive gym social norms, and whether they choose to conform to those norms. The concept I am applying to a gym
I chose a gym on a university campus, which allows access to all students, but also allows the general public access with a paid membership. The gym is in an area that is fairly accessible via walking, driving, or public transportation. The only accessibility issue is that the only way to access the gym is by walking up and down flights of stairs; there are no elevators available. In the gym, there are cardio and weight machines, as well as a track for running. During my observation session, I observed that there were more males than there were females - around 15 males and 12 females were present at a given time. About 20 of those 27 people were doing cardio-based workouts, and out of those 20 people, there were about 10 males and 10 females. These people tended to remain on the same cardio machine or run on the track for at least 15 minutes, and they all remained at a steady pace. The remaining 7 people were doing more strength-based workouts, utilizing machines such as the leg press, assisted pull-up machine, and shoulder press. Of these people, 5 were males, and 2 were females. Everyone in the gym wore soft clothing geared towards athletics, and all wore running shoes. Almost everyone wore headphones - only 3 of the people did not have headphones. There were no children present; all participants appeared to be at least 17 years or older. The majority were under the age of 30. There were 2 participants who seemed to be between the ages of 30 and 40, and 4 participants who looked to be over 40 years old. There was one man who appeared to be in his 70s. Additionally, there were no disabled individuals present in the gym. Most people looked to be at a healthy body weight - there were only about 4-5 people who might be considered slightly overweight, but there were no obese individuals. Most people were not accompanied by friends or trainers; there was one