Flashing your flesh - how much is too much?

Hi there, guess what I've seen a lot of lately? Boobs. Different shapes, different sizes, different colours. Lots of boobs! I've also seen lots of bottoms. Again, different shapes, sizes and colours. Not on purpose, mind you. It's not like I've been going out of my way to check out the assets of other women.

Nope, I have been accidentally copping an eyeful ever since I joined the gym and thus found myself somewhat regularly doing time in the women's changing room. 

Personally, I prefer to keep it subtle when I'm getting changed. I hang my towel over the shower rail so I can get the bulk of my drying done behind the shower curtain, and I do my best to keep the towel wrapped around me until I've at least wriggled into my underwear.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude, it's not like I'm one of those women who get changed in the toilet cubicle, I'm just not totally into this flouncing-around-the-changing-room-starkers thing. I get that some people don't see why they should have to perform that awkward limb-twisting ritual of getting changed without flashing their bits. Just because I'm not comfortable with total strangers seeing me naked doesn't mean that other people aren't okay with exposing themselves. By all means, do what you need to do in order to get in and out of your gym gear, but I must ask - is it really necessary to be quite so enthusiastically naked? Do you need to parade entirely starkers from your locker to the shower and then back again?

Do you know what my mum would say if I spoke to her about this? She'd say "Jane, use your common sense, just don't look" and I'm telling you straight - I try not to look, but it's no use.

Consider this: you're at the hairdresser's and there's someone there that you don't really want to see. You try to avoid making eye-contact so you don't have to acknowledge them, but there are so many mirrors it's inevitable you'll catch their eye because everywhere you look their reflection bounces from one mirror to another and right back at you. That's what it's like for me and boobs and bums in the gym changing room. No matter how many times I avert my gaze, those pesky mirrors keep delivering the goods as if I'd just selected "multi-angle" on the locker room DVD menu.

Look, for the most part it's fine. You're trying to dry yourself and get changed, of course you're going to end up flashing some flesh, and I get that. But please, for the love of all that is good and holy, don't start up a conversation with me while your leg is hiked up on the bench in order for you to ensure you are drying yourself as thoroughly and vigorously as possible. I have every confidence you are a lovely person, but I am not comfortable with what is going on in my peripheral vision. I don't want to be aware that you, whoops, missed a spot.

Ahh, who knows, maybe I'm just unenlightened? Perhaps I would enjoy the feeling of freedom if I just dropped the towel and let the wind dry me off as I strolled uninhibited from shower to locker? Then again, there's a good chance that would just cause unnecessary awkwardness among the changing room sisterhood - I'm not too keen on seeing me naked right now, so I'm not sure why I would expose anyone else to that trauma.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this - are you comfortable being naked in front other people? Do you mind others being naked in front of you? And where do you stand on locker room etiquette? Hopefully not buck-naked in my eyeline...

PS: Feel free to throw some Casual Friday Five questions my way

Follow The Girls' Guide on Facebook and Twitter!