You know, there are some things you just don’t want to see. And then there are things you don’t even want described to you. And then there’s naked old men working out.

Last weekend, a Dutch gym staged “Naked Sunday,” and invited members to work out in a clothing-optional environment. About a dozen middle-aged and elderly men – and surprise! no women -- turned out for the event.

The men came and went throughout the day, lifting weights, using the rowing machines, and riding the stationary bikes. In the category of “Thank God for Small Favors,” there were no group aerobics.

More surprising than the dozen men who worked out naked were the throngs of journalists who came to cover the event (if I were covering the event, I would have used some old sheets). Literally dozens of news people had nothing better to do with their bosses’ time and packed Fitworld gym in Heteren, a small town east of Amsterdam. Owner Patric de Man said he had gotten press inquiries from as far away as Australia. Even Russian journalists were interested; I guess no secret agents were dying from polonium poisoning, so it was a slow news day.

The Dutch Federation of Naturists polled its 70,000 members and found that a majority would rather hike or garden than go the gym in the nude. No kidding? Speaking for myself, I’d rather go 10 rounds with Mike Tyson than go to the gym nude. And even that is still preferable to watching a bunch of naked old men work out.

The same survey said “the most popular activities (for nudists) are things you do outdoors, like walking on the beach, or swimming in a lake, or maybe gardening.” Missing from the list were bee keeping, paint ball and squat tag.

Not everyone at the gym was naked; gym staffers wore aprons with a nude body painted on them. That would not have been my first choice but, on the other hand, hazmat suits and blindfolds aren’t real practical.

Reaction to Naked Sunday was mixed. Heteren councilman Frits Witjes summed it up well when he said, "Some people are happier about it than others," he said. I bet one of the happiest people in town was the guy who sells Wet Wipes to the gym.

Witjes himself cut a ribbon for the event and said the town government supported the idea because it promoted fitness and nudists have a right to freedom of expression. However, one gym member visited the gym’s website and wrote that he would be switching gyms. "Okay that there are people who want to exercise bare naked,” he said, “but do it at home and not in a public place." I’m with him 100 percent here, but even more important than me not exercising naked is old men not exercising naked – especially where I can see them.