I hear this excuse all the time, "I just hate the gym." I can understand why some folks genuinely hate the gym and prefer to work out outdoors, but some folks just use hating the gym as an excuse to not exercise. If this sounds a bit like you then take a look at the positive with a few of my ways to learn to love the gym:
- Pick a gym that is easily accessible. Nothing makes going to the gym harder than deadlock traffic. Plus, if it's easy to get to then you'll be less likely to use getting there as an excuse for not going.
- Mother Nature doesn't matter. The gym offers an all-weather, year-round place to exercise. No more missing workouts because it's raining or snowing.
- Listen during your tour of the gym and take them up on any freebies being offered. I hate not knowing where things are, too. Not only did I ask a lot of questions on my gym tour, I immediately signed up for my free personal training session and gained a wealth of information on the machines and how to use them, etc.
That's not all, so read more.
- First day jitters go away. Your first day at the gym is like your first day at school, only way easier. The more you go, the more comfortable you feel.
- There's plenty of variety. Any given gym has a large amount of weight and cardio machines, free weights, exercise balls, exercise classes, etc. All these things are at your dispense so appreciate the variety a gym has to offer and take advantage of it.
- Day care. I love the great outdoors as much as the next girl, but the park where I like to run does not offer day care. My gym does.
- It's a great place to meet people. I know this is not really why you are working out in the first place, but it's an added bonus. Whether you'd like an exercise buddy or a Friday night date, your gym could be the perfect place to find him or her.
Vive Maria
Pilgrim
Taschen
Most people that I know that "hate the gym" are just looking for any excuse NOT to work out. Most of the time, they've never even BEEN to a gym so they don't even know what they're missing. There are a LOT of different kinds of gyms out there and if you don't like one, try another one. Most places let you try the facility for a week or so without signing a contract, so you can find one you're comfortable with. There are all-womens' gyms, YMCAs, fancy Gold's Gym-type places with lots of amenities, etc.
Or if you REALLY hate the gym, look into creating a gym space in your house. I did that...I have an elliptical machine, a TV, weights, etc., set up in a spare room and it's my "home gym". Works for me!
1I absolutely loathe the "I hate the gym!" excuse for not working out! As the above person stated, it's very easy to create your own gym space in your home if you do not feel comfortable going to the gym. I didn't feel comfortable going to the gym when I was heavy (kind of ironic in that a gym is supposed to make it easier for you to get in shape!), so I bought my own equipment at a very reasonable price (I am a student, after all). You can get a stationary bike for under $100, and I was able to find some really great pilates DVDs at Big Lots for at the most $2 a DVD. I can't remember how much the weights cost, but the price was certainly affordable.
Another excuse I hate for unhealthy behavior: "Eating breakfast makes me feel sick!" Lamest excuse ever! Eat something very light (fruit, anyone?) until you're used to eating breakfast, and then you can branch out if you desire.
2I'm currently in an "I hate the gym" phase but that has not stopped me from working out. I have been going daily since September (when I moved to a different city for school) and now that it's nice outside I've been running daily instead just to be outside. The thought of going back in there at the moment makes me cringe but I think it's the whole Spring Fever thing. I would never use it as an excuse not to workout all-together though
3I don't "hate" the gym but I do better just running outside and my own weights. I hate waiting for equipment...
4I don't mind the gym at all. I like seeing people I recognize, it's air conditioned (it was 100 outside this weekend so AC was important!), and I always feel good leaving. I don't have a FANCY gym, but it does the job.
5Oh and I'm TOTALLY forwarding this article to a friend, I always tell her to go to the gym more, maybe she'll meet a nice guy haha
Hey, whatever gets you there!
i don't hate the gym.. i just hate going haha. i go to the one on my college campus and its such a long walk from my classes and if i want to drive later there are no parking spots! i still make myself go though. i think i would be more motivated if i had a friend that wanted to go with me! they all "hate the gym!"
6In the 6 months I belonged to a gym, I got four severe flus and was too ill to work out. I get far more and better exercise running in the park and training with hand weights and a stability ball at home when the weather is bad. I also have had only one mild nose-cold in the 2 1/2 years since I quit the gym. So I love to exercise, but hate the gym!
7I was a member of a gym for several years, I finally figured out that no matter how hard I tried, it wasn't for me. I have my own gym in my house now and also a wonderful spacious place to do yoga - I love working out at home.
8I don't hate the gym at all. But I do hate things that go along with it like annoying habits of others and waiting on machines. This is why I don' RELY on it. I run outside mostly and have a stationary bike and weights at home. That way, if I don't feel like dealing with gym stuff, I can workout at home. I don't get workout burnout ever either.
9I used to use the "I hate the gym" excuse ALL THE TIME. I didn't like how crowded it was, or the muscle-y guys who did weights and made noises while they were lifting, and I really hated people seeing me all red and sweaty and out of breath. And while I completely agree with the previous posters who said you can like exercise and still hate the gym, that is definitely NOT what I meant when I used to say I hated the gym. Hating the gym, to me, was kind of a blanket excuse for not exercising. If I hated the gym (the one place you're supposed to exercise), it was the perfect reason NOT to exercise at all. I wasn't seeking out any alternative forms of exercise like running outside or working out in my house. As it turns out, though, I don't hate the gym! I don't really even hate exercise. One of my friends found a REALLY cheap gym and convinced me to sign up with her. I did (reluctantly), and I started going, and I realized I really liked pushing myself to do new things and test new limits. I upgraded to a gym with nicer equipment and classes, and I go pretty much every day now. If you go at the right time, it's not too crowded, and my iPod drowns out the grunting weights guys, and really, no one cares if you're red and sweaty at the gym. I'm glad I stopped using that excuse as a reason not to exercise!
10I hate my gym because I feel like they don't cap their membership. That means when I do go I end up waiting to get on a machine. I can't get a machine for my home (though I constantly dream about it!) because I live in a 1BR apt, so there's no space for one!
I do go to pilates pretty regularly, but you need enough room to stretch, i.e. you and your neighbor both need to be able to stretch your arms out from your side and not touch each other. It drives me nuts when someone asks me to move my mat over so they can squeeze in between me and my appropriately spaced neighbor!
11jdeprima makes a good point. The gym is pretty germy.
12I love the gym. The peer pressure forces me to work out harder.
13Yea...I don't mind it. I hate draggin my ass to it, but once I am there, I work hard!
14A lot of people use gym cost as an excuse. I dropped my gym membership and am going stronger than ever...I run 20 miles a week and do strength training 3-4 times a week. Better than I was previously doing at the YMCA. And now I have to carpool my friend and bring her home so I can't go the gym right after work like I used to (I work right next to my gym and they validate your parking). I was using my friend as an excuse and getting bitter so I dropped my membership and now truck it outside. No more bitter feelings either.
15Bah. i hate the gym.
haha
16Once I forced myself to start going on a fairly regular basis or even just working out to a DVD at home (I am/was a fan of "I hate working out/getting sweaty"), I've started looking forward to it... mostly because I've been feeling the results. I think you just have to get to the point where you've become sick of your excuses and want to do it, even if you still feel kinda silly working out on that ArcTrainer or exercise ball in front of other people.
17My gym is sh###y but i like it cause I am not even paying for the following 2 months so that kind of makes me appreciate it.
18I don't have any issue with the gym. I love working out so if it has to be at a gym rather than at home or outside, I don't care
19I hate the gym.
I hate the sweaty, smelly people that leave their sweaty, smelliness on the equipment. I hate the snide people who think that just because they lift more or run faster they have more right to the equipment than me or my 60 year old mother does. We paid for membership too! I hate the attitudes of what you "should" or "should not" wear as though it's a fashion show as though anyone cares that you have the Hello Kitty Pink Capris with Tri-Lock All Weather. I hate the gawking males who hang out near the ladies locker rooms to stare at your butt in the too tight exercise clothing, you know...that you "should" wear. I hate that if and when there is a pool, it's full of kids playing in it so that it's near impossible to too actual laps. And the parents are no where to be found. Goddess do I hate the gym! Or should I say I hate the people at the gym and their lousy behavior.
I bought a used treadmill and am slowly acquiring the weights I need and DVDs to work out to. No gym for me.
20i hate the gym too, i just feel like a trained monkey on a treadmill
21unless its with the hubby and weight lifting, i dont mind as much
so i find outdoor ways and other ways to work out instead
having a 9 month old puppy to take everywhere has been a great addition to my routine!
My main reason for not joining a gym is the cost. There are three "name brand" gyms near my home but membership costs upwards of $100/mon (if you total all the fees); the less expensive YWCA is too far and in a bad part of town. So I end up running outdoors- for free!
22If you truly hate the gym workout at home. People who say that just don't want to workout, it has nothing to do with the gym.
23I love the gym but I have to say during the summer I would opt out for a nice walk or roller blading on an off day.
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