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Gym? Groan!

19th Feb 2013
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On my way home today I passed by the gym and carried on cycling instead of stopping and going in for resistance training. I did the same yesterday.

I was thinking why is it cycling such a pleasure for me but I have to force myself to go to the gym?

Cycling is easy one to answer. As a child in sunny Africa I used to go cycling regularly with relations. This got me hooked.

Now cycling is my means of transportation to work. I do not have to make time to cycle. It gets me from A to B in a hugely enjoyable way. It gives me such a buzz.

With gym (groan!), I have to make time. I have to make sure I have my kit. Then after work, give up some of my leisure time for resistance training. It is a huge effort. I know it is good for me. Yesterday and today, the appeal of getting to my flat earlier was irresistible.

My gym subscription continues and my attendance has dwindled.

I may just give up gym and start again once I reach my weight loss target. Don’t know.

Do you go to the gym? If so how do you motivate yourself to go? What time of the day do you go? 

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Replies (10)

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By petersaxton
19th Feb 2013 21:57

Buy a treadmill?

Why don't you buy a treadmill?

If you buy a quiet treadmill you could watch TV while walking or running.

I signed up for Virgin Active when it opened and I would go on the various machines and in the sauna and the swimming pool. I was spending too long in the gym. I would go either early in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. When I left I'd go home and was shattered. 

I might buy a good quality treadmill for when I watch football on TV.

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By User deleted
20th Feb 2013 08:13

Or an exercise bike

On the same principle. I used to have mine in front of the tv - you don't notice the time when you've got an episode of CSI on!

If getting to the gym is that difficult it's not going to happen long-term. Cancel and spend the subs on something you'll use.

And cut down the amount you eat and make it healthier and with your cycling you'll lose weight without any effort.

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By Roland195
20th Feb 2013 11:00

So you don't like the gym?

Clearly, you do not like the gym as in you get no enjoyment from working out for it's own sake. This means you will always have to force yourself to go which may work in the short term but will soon wear you down.

You need to find an alternative that you do enjoy. Have you considered one of the "bootcamp" style classes?

 

 

 

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By User deleted
20th Feb 2013 11:54

Swimming or an exercise class

Do you enjoy swimming? That would work and like Peter says its not restricted to after work. Or is there one of those exercise classes that involves being on a bike? Or a boxercise class or something? It doesn't have to be just the gym itself.....

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By coolmanwithbeard
20th Feb 2013 12:21

Hmm is the clue not in the question?

If you find cycling so enjoyable (each to his own says this fatty :P) then surely just finder a longer route home or into work - or go out cycling at the weekend - I'm sure the wear and tear on the bike will easily be met by saved gym fees. Stick the bike on a rack on the car and come to sunny Cumbria lots of great cycling and views to match (so i'm told)

At the end of the day at its most crude weight for most of us is an imbalance between the fuel we put in and what we burn. If you really enjoy doing something that uses that energy just do more of it.

 

M

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By andrew_writer
20th Feb 2013 12:29

Exercise without a purpose (almost)

I signed up for a gym trial a few years back. Gave up.

Partly because it hurt. But mainly because I was bored. Even with TV it was dull, partly because the sound was too low, and partly because I don't really like watching TV.

I can see why cycling works better for you. You're getting exercise while keeping your mind busy at the same time, as scenes change around you and there's traffic to navigate.

My preferred exercise is to do something that's useful at the same time. Cutting down several largish trees in my garden is at the heart of my workout at the moment. I'm not doing bringing them down in the most efficient manner, because I want to work up a sweat.

Maybe I should buy a bike. I certainly have no ambition to return to the gym.

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By B Roberts
21st Feb 2013 13:28

Cancel the gym membership

It is clear that you don't want to go to the gym, so cancel your subscription !

If you cancel then you cannot go - thus removing the feelings of guilt for not going and perpetuating the cycle (eg. don't go to gym - feel bad - comfort eat to feel better - feel even worse etc).

Weight loss is determined largely by what you eat.

If there is a physical activity that you enjoy (such as cycling) then great, otherwise don't beat yourself up about it.

 

 

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By User deleted
21st Feb 2013 19:08

I like Jasper Carrot's ...

... explanation of weight gain;

It is because the mouth hole is bigger than the a'hole!, so it goes in quicker than it comes out!

I hate gyms, mainly beause of the TV or music. It is instrusive and distracting.

If you are trying to do interval training it is really hard to do the slow steady bit when there is fast beat thumping at you. Even if you are trying to get a rhythm going on the jogging machine it is hard if the music is at a different tempo, for example if you are trying to inhale and exhale on a 3/4 rhythm (in 2 3 - out 2 3) it is not easy with a 4/4 tune playing.

The bit that really got me though when I was excercising for rugby it involved low reps of high weight and it is really hard focussing on the 5th rep of the third set of leg presses at 150kg with than infermal beating banging at your brain!

I prefer to excercise in quiet so I can fully concentrate and gave up gyms long ago.

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Heather Townsend - accountant's coach
By Heather Townsend
22nd Feb 2013 18:47

cancel the gym subscription

Yes, if you don't like the gym, don't go there. I agree with coolmanwithabeard - if you love cycling then do more of it. 

I personally don't have a gym membership and get most of my exercise walking or getting from A to B with my kids on our scooters. Good exercise is not about taking your heart rate up to the limit, but finding something which you enjoy doing and more importantly do regularly.

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Replying to cfield:
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By User deleted
22nd Feb 2013 19:17

Well ...

efficiencycoach wrote:

Yes, if you don't like the gym, don't go there. I agree with coolmanwithabeard - if you love cycling then do more of it. 

I personally don't have a gym membership and get most of my exercise walking or getting from A to B with my kids on our scooters. Good exercise is not about taking your heart rate up to the limit, but finding something which you enjoy doing and more importantly do regularly.

... studies show good exercise is flat out for short bursts interspersed with slow and steady, so spending 5 minutes sprint/jog/sprint/jog round the block twice a day is better than an hours jogging

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