Workout warrior feels intimidated by younger bodies at the gym

DEAR ANNIE >> I am fit. Correction: I am super fit. Not an easy feat for a 52-year-old mother of four. I work out every day. I eat as healthy as possible.

I am obsessed with this indoor cycling place near me. It plays loud music. The instructors are gorgeous. It’s so different from the last gym I belonged to. It was depressing. There were lots of people my age or older who were out of shape and desperately trying to get back in shape, and it was clear that was never going to happen.

My only issue at this new cycling place is my fellow riders. Oftentimes, I look around and think to myself, “I am the oldest person in here by two decades.” I see a sea of 20-somethings with tight, pre-baby bodies and can’t help but feel self-conscious. I find myself buying cute outfits and wearing makeup. Makeup. To a workout class.

I am fine with my age. As I said, I look good and feel great about my body. It’s just difficult when I am surrounded by people straight out of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. I also love this boutique spot and don’t want to be banished to doing circuit training at Curves. Any advice? DEAR WONDER WOMAN >> First, stop the cycle of negativity. The less you judge other people the easier it will be to have compassion for yourself.

Second, if your fellow riders are looking at you and thinking anything, it’s probably, “Wow, I hope I stay as fit as she is.” And even if they’re thinking something negative, why does it matter what some random stranger in your cycling class thinks of you? Focus on what you think of yourself. You’re only as old as you feel, and it sounds as if you feel pretty young. DEAR ANNIE >> When my husband and I first met, one of the first things I noticed about him was his pair of colorful basketball sneakers. I thought they were charming.

A couple of years later, when he started working in the corporate world, he started dressing more like a grown-up, with more practical shoes. I could tell he was bummed out, and I felt bad. I encouraged him to be himself and buy what he wanted to buy. Well, he really took that advice to heart.

It started off slowly — a pair here, a pair there. But over the course of the past few years, he has bought more and more, and now he probably owns 200 pairs of sneakers.

We live in a tiny apartment. Half our kitchen cabinets are full of sneakers. I barely have room for any of my own stuff in the closet. For years, we’ve talked about saving up money and buying a house, but our savings account never grows.

I wish he would give this up, but I don’t want to hurt him. How do I get him to ditch the habit? DEAR SNEAKER >> It can be tricky to tell whether a loved one’s hobby has become an obsession. But when something has taken over your lives to the point that it’s spilling out of your kitchen cabinets, it’s safe to say there’s a problem.

Before you’re accidentally preheating Jordans you didn’t know were in the oven, talk to your husband. If he’s receptive to your concerns, he might consider ways to have a healthier relationship to the hobby. Perhaps he could sell the shoes on eBay (which would also help with the house fund).

If he refuses to hear you out and he denies there’s a problem, you may need to seek professional help. There could be an underlying mental health issue causing his compulsive shopping.