Why I joined the gym {I hate gyms}

I finally bit the bullet and joined the local gym.

This may not seem like a big deal except that I despise gyms!

So, why does someone who dislikes gyms so intensely join one?

Well, here’s the rub . . .

I kept trying to workout at home and found myself being thwarted over and over and over again.

I began to feel cranky, depressed, tired, and fat.

Not really a great recipe for becoming a Real Fit Mom or having a delightful home, is it?

Here are the challenges I have faced when trying to workout at home:

• Our home is very small, so it’s hard to exercise without waking up half the house (namely a certain two year old).
• A certain two year old thinks I am a great bridge to climb over or crawl under whenever I try to do any type of floor work.
• I don’t feel safe enough in our area to go for a run in the early morning alone.
• If I try to exercise at a time of day when everyone is awake, there are many interruptions. And not just from my family, there are other people and things that seem to pop up right when I tie up my sneakers.
• When I’m home I see the dishes that need to be done or the crumbs that need to be swept. It makes me a little anxious if I’m trying to do a workout that is longer than 20 minutes.

Some of these things I can work with, but some of are pretty difficult to change.

I’ve tried to find solutions, and they may come in time (read: when the 2 year old is a little older), but for now, I am a little tired of pushing against and climbing around these hurdles.

So, I joined the gym.

Did I tell you I don’t like gyms?

OK. So, why don’t I like gyms:

• I have to exercise in front of people
• It can be crowded
• People jump on the equipment I’m about to use right when I am going to use it (not always, just sometimes)
• I have to drive there
• It costs money!
• It costs lots of money!
• I have to get up extra early to get there and back before my husband goes to work.
• Lots of sweaty people touch the equipment I’m using (but my sweat is not a problem. ha!)

I kept talking around and around about the gym and finally decided to try it out. I mean, how will I know if I never try?

I won’t.

I am now at the beginning of my fourth week.

I still don’t really like it, but I do like getting my exercise in.

This morning was a particularly terrible morning and I found all the stuff I wanted to use was already working for someone else. My training session seemed to take forever and I lamented the fact that I could do all this at home a lot quicker. If only I could.

Logistically, if I want to work out at home in the early morning, I have to do it in my bedroom, while my husband is still asleep! He says he doesn’t care, but I find myself trying to be quiet and not putting in all the effort.

I’m not yet convinced that I will stay at the gym.

I was fortunate to find a place that lets me pay month to month. So, I can end at any time.

Things I do like so far:

• It’s pretty cool to have my workout done and dusted before breakfast!
• A few ladies from church also joined the gym and we have attended a class together. That was quite hilarious and a lot of fun.
• There are a few pieces of equipment there that I don’t have at home. I love the chin-up machine.
• I can exercise without people climbing on me or telling me they are hungry or that their sibling did something I need to deal with.

For now, I’ll keep going and re-evaluate in another month or two.

Do you like to exercise at the gym?