Lick The Lard

What is it about going to the gym that people detest?

I had a friend say to me today: “The thought of going to the gym this morning was just too much”. This was immediately followed by: “but I like the gym.”

“If you like the gym, why was the thought of going to it too much?” I asked.

“I like it when I’m there, but I go to the gym in the morning, and the thought of getting up to go this morning….” His words drifted off.

It strikes me that if you like something, you do it with enthusiasm. You find ways to integrate it into your lifestyle that you do not dread.

Personally, I don’t like the gym. It’s not the exercise that I dislike, it’s the 2 hours it takes from going there, getting changed, warming up, exercising, warming down, showering, and getting back. I don’t like the two hours it takes out of my life. Instead I’ll do other things to keep fit - such as walking home, or getting off the train a stop early.

I know there are many people who base their “diet” around exercise. I’m not one of those people. In many ways, I think going to the gym is a false friend - because you feel that after you’ve exercised, you’ve done your bit. In reality you might only have burned off 200 calories - which you might immediately put on again by having an “Energy” drink, or by choosing the wrong salad.

For me, exercise and gym is for building tone and fitness, not for weight loss and weight control - those need to be addressed by diet. After all, if you’re relying on mainly exercise to lose weight, you’re probably not paying close attention to the garbage you’re eating.