HALIFAX – We all know getting regular exercise is important, but Samantha Burns will tell you it’s not always easy.
It’s not because she finds it hard to make the time to get to the gym, but because the gym she goes to won’t let her work out in her regular gym clothes.
“They came over and said, ‘Hi do you have a different pair of shorts to change into? You can’t wear those here,” she told Global News on Friday.
“I said, ‘No, sorry. I just have what’s on my back,’ and they just sort of walked away and I continued working out. Then they came back over and said ‘No, you’re going to have to leave, right now!’
Burns explained what she was wearing as roughly quarter- to mid-level shorts.
Apparently, those were too small for the Games Centre.
But, that might depend on who you are.
“My friend was wearing very similar shorts, maybe an inch or half an inch longer than mine and they didn’t say anything to her,” the 20-year-old St. Mary’s student said.
The Canada Games Center issued a comment in response to Burns’ story.
“The reason why the policy is in place is for the health and safety of our members and guests and/or damage to the equipment; members are given the chance to change into appropriate clothing; members refusing to abide by the policy could be asked to leave. Since the policy has been in place, we’ve had no particular issues and it has been embraced by Canada Games Centre members.”
They said the policy has been active since they opened in March 2011.
But, Burns said she’s been working out in the same type of attire for the last two years and has never once had an issue.
“I’ve always worn these shorts” she said. “I get really hot when I work out so I don’t like to wear yoga pants or sweat pants.”
Regular users of the Canada Games Centre who saw a photo of what Burns was wearing didn’t seem to have any issue with her workout wear.
“If that’s what she’s dressed in she looks appropriate to me,” one man said.
“I don’t see why they would kick her out, I would wear something similar to work out in,” another woman said.
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