Body image and "model men"
These days, the gay male icon is a muscular, young man, hairless and blemish-free, a beautiful, friendly face and open smile, ever on the go, ever ready for sex. It's difficult not to get caught up in
the fashion and strive to have all those attributes; or at least strive for the attention of one of these model men.
And that's just what they are: model men.
No one, regardless of how much time they spent on developing themselves to such an extent, could maintain an open, cheery, free attitude to the world. (Apart from anything else, it would take most of
the fun out of life if you had to spend most days in the gym!)
The myth of these icons is that everyone desires someone who looks like this, when it is more likely that some men find muscular studs attractive, and others find young, hairy men or older, hairless
men or men without muscles or men who are always serious or who prefer to talk most of the time rather than have sex. What's more, there is absolutely no way of knowing whether all the Adonis' of the gay
world are turned on by one another: they may prefer someone just like you!
Even so ensuring that you look the best you can - that you look like you care about yourself - is a valuable goal. You may find that going frequently to the gym or the pool or playing tennis or squash
or football or cycling is all a bit much to contemplate. So instead of thinking about how tiring it will be to exercise frequently, consider the idea of exercising today or tomorrow, only.
Don't worry about next week, but use the time of your first activity to explore how you feel about yourself, the other people around you and anything else that seems relevant. (One of the greatest incentives
for exercising in Sydney is the increasing number of gay-owned or gay recognised gyms and sports clubs. So not only can regular exercise help you feel more of yourself, but it can offer opportunities for
developing relationships with similar men.)
|
We are not doctors. 
