Should I rejoin my Gym?

[Slainte]

My renewal letter for my Gym membership arrived in the post this week and I've been for and against continuing to renew.

 

For the last few months I've let myself go as regards appearance and exercise, and have only attended the Gym 10-15 times for an hour during this time period while I used to attend 5 days every week for two hours and do a full workout. I'm 19, male, and have my Leaving Certificate exams in three months at school (equivilant would be the most serious US High School exam affecting college choices), so am stressed out a bit and not very motivated towards fitness.

 

I'm not sure where my motivation has gone, but believe it might have something to do with the Gym itself, the fact that its no longer feels familiar or personable. Each time I go I feel as if people are staring at me and I tend to lack confidence to complete a few workout due to the physically awkward positions needed for some weights exercises.

 

Its the cheapest Gym (out of 5) in a small town by a long shot, but tends to attract a certain demographic and a lot of show-off "body builder" types (some of whom are steroid nuts) and the showers are often left in horrible conditions with water overflowing into the dressing room.

 

Pros: Cheap, well-equipped, staff reasonably friendly but not hard working, good location, sauna, free classes, free personal training, free water, familiar with it now.

 

Cons: busy, rough demographic, no swimming pool, dressing room often dirty, small dressing rooms, few rules (naked people often in dressing room), not much privacy, no heating, not well ventilated.

[lino]

My renewal letter for my Gym membership arrived in the post this week and I've been for and against continuing to renew.

 

For the last few months I've let myself go as regards appearance and exercise, and have only attended the Gym 10-15 times for an hour during this time period while I used to attend 5 days every week for two hours and do a full workout. I'm 19, male, and have my Leaving Certificate exams in three months at school (equivilant would be the most serious US High School exam affecting college choices), so am stressed out a bit and not very motivated towards fitness.

 

I'm not sure where my motivation has gone, but believe it might have something to do with the Gym itself, the fact that its no longer feels familiar or personable. Each time I go I feel as if people are staring at me and I tend to lack confidence to complete a few workout due to the physically awkward positions needed for some weights exercises.

 

Its the cheapest Gym (out of 5) in a small town by a long shot, but tends to attract a certain demographic and a lot of show-off "body builder" types (some of whom are steroid nuts) and the showers are often left in horrible conditions with water overflowing into the dressing room.

 

Pros: Cheap, well-equipped, staff reasonably friendly but not hard working, good location, sauna, free classes, free personal training, free water, familiar with it now.

 

Cons: busy, rough demographic, no swimming pool, dressing room often dirty, small dressing rooms, few rules (naked people often in dressing room), not much privacy, no heating, not well ventilated.

 

 

If you enjoy working out, why not?

 

I guess that if you're taking your studies seriously and time at the gym will interfere with that then maybe it's better to wait until after the exams but that also depends on how good you are at managing your time.

 

Oh and don't worry about people staring at you. As long as you aren't doing the routines with a horrible technique, I doubt anyone will really have a reason to stare.

 

Don't worry about the roid munchers either!

[torranceshipman]

A bit of tough love needed here: you let yourself go, and need to renew that mebership pronto and get yourself back in shape. You are only young and it wont take long plus you used to work out hard, consistently so you are more than capable of doing that again. I know you don't want to go now as you are embarrassed about being out of shape, and probably feel overwhelmed as you've put so much pressure on yourself now but...one foot in front of the other, dude. As Nike says....just do it.

 

6 weeks from now you could be buying burgers with the extra few bucks you save from not working out, and be fat and disgruntled. OR in 6 weeks from now you could be looking pretty good, feeling pretty good and on your way to an even better build, simply because you renewed that gym membership. You couldeven opt for classes for while, until you feel more confortable with getting back into the weights area.

 

PLUS exercise is the best stress reliever in the world so as you mentioned stress-even more reason to go. No excuses!