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Aside from saving money, losing weight and/or getting in shape is up there for New Year’s Resolutions. I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I haven’t made them in years. I blame the overindulging holidays (too much spending, too much eating, etc.) for the New Year’s resolutions.
While December is the month of Christmas. January is considered the month of Christmas for gyms. The amount of memberships purchased in the New Year skyrocket. The gyms and group exercise classes are packed. Everyone is so gung-ho and excited for a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over.
Then comes February and March. The gyms and classes aren’t as packed. Then the many excuses.
It’s too hard.
I don’t have time.
I have kids.
It’s too expensive.
I’m not reaching my goals.
BLAH. BLAH. BLAH.
I understand that the gym is not for everyone and depending on your financial situation, it can be expensive and/ or a waste of money. But hear me out, it’s only a waste of money if you’re not using it regularly, using it properly or are bored out of your mind because you’re only running on the treadmill the whole time.
It seems like many bloggers are big fans of running. I loathe running. It’s like watching paint dry for me. I can respect the fact that is a somewhat frugal way to get into shape and great because you can do it anywhere. It’s a great cardio workout.
Many people seem to only focus on the cardio aspect of getting into shape. They forget the importance of weight resistance training. For all you females out there who think you will bulk up into the Incredible Hulk, think again. We don’t have enough testosterone. If you are doing many reps while lifting moderately heavy weights (muscular endurance training) versus lifting extremely heavy weights to maximum failure (meaning you should be struggling after the 5th rep), then you are looking at developing lean muscle instead.
Translation: You get more toned.
We lose a lot of bone density as we age, and this also affects our posture. Our metabolism also slows down as we age. Aside from the obvious in terms of getting you stronger, weight training also increases bone density and increases our metabolism. You can burn a lot more calories with muscle compared to fat.
While you can easily buy weights, the DVDs, and the equipment to use at home, one of the things I think lacks in home gyms is motivation. I hear many people say that they work out at home, but I have yet to hear many people say they got the results they wanted from home training. The gym is full of motivation. It’s everywhere. Personal trainers. Group Exercise Instructors. Other Members. They are all there to encourage you and push you just a little bit further than you think you can.
Here’s my two cents on the same old excuses for not going to the gym/exercising in general.
IT’S TOO HARD
No sh*t, Sherlock. It wasn’t meant to be easy. Nothing worthwhile is ever that easy. In order to change yourself, you need to challenge yourself and push yourself. It’s going to hurt for several days. That’s a sign your body is changing. (If it’s hurts for longer than that, you may have injured yourself due to improper technique or going too hard, too soon, rather than gradually).
It’s such a great feeling when I’ve accomplished that tough workout. I feel better, happier and more energized.
I’M TOO BUSY/TIRED/I HAVE KIDS
We’re all busy and tired. It’s just a matter of working it into your schedule and making it part of your weekly routine. If you like classes, then have a schedule posted on your fridge where you can clearly see it. Pack your workout gear after you pack your lunch.
You don’t necessarily have to put in a full hour. Some gyms have a variety of classes (which is great for motivation in my opinion. And they don’t all require coordination such as spinning or weight lifting classes), that are less than an hour. If you have small kids, many of them offer childcare services.
I know sometimes it’s the last thing you want to do after a long day of work. You make finances and your family a priority; your health should be a priority as well. Make time for it. Don’t expect it to be a habit right away though. It takes between 18-224 days to make a new behaviour an ingrained habit, indicating a considerable variation based on the individual.[1]
IT’S TOO EXPENSIVE
I agree with this one. Obviously it’s also a waste of money if you’re not using it. Some gyms offer corporate memberships. Another option is to look into the fitness centres at your local community centres. Their rates tend to be lower than the big chain gyms and they tend to have more flexible memberships such as pay as you go.
I’M NOT REACHING MY GOALS
People want instant success. They want instant wealth. It’s not different in terms of your weight/body shape. They want changes to happen almost overnight. They complain that’s it’s not working, yet they are not willing to put in the time and effort it takes, as well as changing their eating habits. Being active and healthy is a lifestyle that can take time to adopt. Changing your overall shape and fitness is something that takes time as well. As I said before you need to CHALLENGE your body. If you’re not sweating buckets, not gasping for air, and are still able to carry on a conversation, you’re not working hard enough. I’ve seen people TALKING ON THEIR CELL PHONES while working out.
Seriously?!!?!?
If you’re not reaching your fitness goals on your own, perhaps you’re not using the equipment effectively. Many gyms give a free orientation on how to use the equipment. You can take it further and look into personal training (or perhaps ask for that for next Christmas). Many times, personal trainers will give free workouts to promote their business. Another alternative is group training, which is a fraction of the cost. Many gyms offer group exercise classes as part of the membership. They’re a great social atmosphere and a great way to meet people and perhaps your future workout buddy. (My sister and brother in law first met at the gym). Some gyms also offer other amenities such as squash courts, swimming pools and evening rock climbing walls.
People are often intimidated to work out in the gym and join the classes because they feel they’re not fit enough or will get made fun of. It’s a learning curve. We’ve all been there. Trust me, I’ve been there too. Now I’m a group fitness instructor and have been for almost five years. It should less intimidating the more you come back.
You don’t have to be fit already before you go to the gym.
Final words: Don’t knock the gym membership. It can be worth it. Get into the routine of being active, but switch up the type of activity from time to time.
I have to disagree somewhat with working out at home and getting the results you want. I found the complete opposite to be true because I was intimidated by doing weights at the gym. Yes, there was more variety, but I hardly ever did it. At home I’ve been much more motivated, and you can use your own body weight. So can you get faster results at the gym using their stuff….probably, but only if an individual is seriously motivated, and I don’t think most people are. Of course that’s not to say they would have the same problem at home. Lots of people face distractions at home where I don’t. So it’s a bit easier I’d say. But I love the free apps that are out there and they are not easy by any means. Nike Training Club kicks my butt. I would say gyms are still a great option if a) you can afford it, and b) you use it. Other than that I think they can be a money drain.
Most people I know, including myself don’t have the serious motivation or discipline to work out at home. In all honesty, I would rather sit on my comfy couch and watch television at home, than work out. Huge kudos to you for being able to work out home though/on your own. I definitely could not do it.
Several of the classes at the gym also incorporate a lot of body weight training exercises.
I was VERY intimidated doing weights at the gym, but once I found out how to use the machines, I felt a lot more comfortable. Doing the weight training classes also gave me a lot more confidence to use the free weights.
I used to bark about the unnecessary expense of a gym membership, but then I tried working out at home with 3 young kids and suddenly a gym membership seemed worth it. haha!
I joined a gym back in December (ACAC) which is considered one of the more expensive gyms to go to, but I decided to base my decision on actual value.
ACAC has more than just cardio machines and weights. They have a kid zone which gives me and my wife up to 2.5 hours daily to get our workout on which is included in our membership. There are tons of additional programs that can be used like karate for my oldest son etc.
In the real world all of this stuff cost money so we looked at our membership as entertainment as well. We can take the kids to the pool, play basketball, let them go to the kids zone and sit in the hot tub etc all without spending a single extra dollar. And if that wasn’t enough they have a once a month thing where we can drop our kids off at another ACAC facility in our area (there are three) for 4.5 hours so my wife and I can go on a date. (SOLD!) haha!
I have changed my tune on gym memberships and one thing I plan on making sure of is that I go. My kids have that part covered though. 🙂
I guess I must add that I just applied for a part-time job there so if I get hired (looks like I will as long as my background check is good) then I will get to deduct the cost of one personal membership from our family membership. Cha-ching!
Great post! 😀
I’m so glad that you are able to use the gym to better your health and use it as entertainment for your family. I feel that they have evolved so much in the past 20 years and have become so much more than cardio and weights.
Good luck with your part time job at the gym. A free gym membership is definitely a perk and even more incentive to work out.
Glad you enjoyed my post. 🙂
I used to hate running too, but you can’t beat the price. Maybe it’s because I knew I couldn’t afford anything else that I came to love it 🙂
No matter how much I try or want to love running, I don’t think it will ever happen. It just wasn’t meant to be.
Glad you love it though!
I joined my gym last September, so this is the first opportunity I’ll have to see if they have a big January rush. I was planning on checking it out this morning, but a few inches of snow needed clearing off the driveway instead, but I’ll be interested to see if it is any busier tomorrow. Of course, my interest will turn to annoyance if I can’t get on my regular equipment 🙂
It can be annoying when you arrive at the gym and all the equipment you want to use is being taken. Whenever it’s busy and I use the weight machines, I sometimes ask the person if I could work in between their sets while they’re resting. So far, I haven’t had a problem with it. I’d say 99.9% of the time, people are willing to share the equipment.
I don’t have a gym membership because I know I won’t go. I do however, have a bunch of DVDs that I do on a regular (hopefully more regular-in the new year) basis. I think you just have to find what works for you and do it. Like you said, some people run, some do yoga, some do the gym. It’s all about knowing yourself well enough to know what’s going to work for you.
You’re right. Just like with a lot of things in life, workout routines/fitness routines are a matter of trial and error. You try one thing and if you hate it the first time, then try something else. There are so many different ways to be active.
The few times that my wife has signed a gym membership contract. She quit going but we still had to pay. I that is how they make the big bucks, The convince people to join but in actuality hope that they never show up.
I feel good about my gym membership because I go almost everyday of the week. In fact, it motivates me to go because I know I need to get my money’s worth out of the monthly fee. In this way, the gym membership is definitely something that benefits me.
Great Share!! Gym membership has so many advantages. You can avail facilities at reasonable rate.It enables a person to go to the gym daily as he have paid in advance!!
Joining gym is one of the best decision one can make. Your not don’t only remains fit but you feel alive. I am so happy to be part of gym.
I agree completely with this! Gym memberships are great, especially when finding one to serve all of your needs- whatever those may be. It is so awesome to read about the benefits as it is always important to maintain a healthy life style with big doses of physical fitness!