I took that big leap a few weeks ago - I decided to quit the gym. Now I know what you're thinking here... 'I wannna quit the gym!', the infamous words of Ross and Chandler from Friends. Although judging by the fact I am female, and massive pecs and washboard abs don't particularly entice me, it was the easiest decision ever.
Picture this. Dull, dim lighting; sweaty, tired, overweight old men and women at one end, ludicrously and impossibly toned muscle bulging fitness freaks at the other; the monotonous hum and whiring of all those fabulously complicated machines. Where is the excitement? Where is the appeal? Every single person in that gym looked either utterly miserable, or was in a 'must work out noowwww' trance, staring at themselves in the mirrors with dead eyes and robotic expressions, quite similar to that scene in American Beauty when he picks up a weight and enters some sort of workout psychosis.
Why in the world would anybody want to slave away in a stuffy gym 3-4 times a week? Does anybody out there actually enjoy doing this? I can remember the EXACT moment I decided to pack it in. I was hammering away on a treadmill, bored out of my skull, watching Eggheads on the big TV monitors. I looked around, and realised that the gym staff were all gathered in a group, leaning back and watching us as if we were all hamsters in cages struggling to keep the wheel going round and round.
(Cute lil' fact here - my ex-hamster Sweepy used to run on top of the wheel rather than in it. He was obviously some sort of macho-flexi hamster who aimed to develop and define his upper body. It was funny and cute, despite the fact it was a bit bonkers.)
Anyways. So yeah, I decided I would no longer have a part in it. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy some aspects of being a gymanite, but I would much rather be the person with a big tub of ice cream stood in front of the gym window and laughing my face off. Funny thing is, I can see the main gym floor of David Lloyd's from my bedroom window, so this is actually very feasible.
When it comes to exericse, everyone is different. Some people recoil whenever the word is mentioned - they're usually the ones who crouched behind the cricket bats to avoid doing P.E. at school. Some people feel really good about going to the gym, and have the motivation to keep going back on a regular basis, and get the most out of their monthly direct debit. For me, however, my motivation only lies in the things I'm most passionate about. It's not unusual for me to sit at my laptop on Audacity for 20 hours solid making a music mashup, but only spend an hour or two at a Beyonce gig before getting restless.
To be honest, I don't particularly believe in the concept of exercise. Everybody says 'oooh you should exercise for at least half an hour every day on the dot', but doesn't that just seem like you're placing limits on body movement? Should we count how many times we need to breathe out in one minute? I find running in the countryside as peaceful as sleeping. It's so relaxing, especially when you're almost completely alone with your surroundings. Running in the city is unnerving, frantic, and a downright chore. On the route I ran today I had to run through the city to reach the gates of Richmond Park, and it was rather chaotic to say the least. I had to swerve through big groups of people waiting for buses, I nearly got run over by a car turning left, and then again at the roundabout. I couldn't breathe properly due to the fact I was choking on car fumes, and I was also very aware that most people automatically tend to stare at runners in the street like they're insane.
But once I got away from the chaos of London and turned off the main road through Richmond Park, it was the best feeling in the world. I didn't think I would make it to the end of my route due to the fact I reeeeeally had to pee, but I did eventually make it to Pen Ponds with dry clothing. It's a beautiful place, and I think I was the only person there. It's a bit muddy at this time of year, but it's breathtaking all the same.
Anyway, I thought I would share that experience with you. If you're a lonely gym sufferer just like I was, why not take up something more enjoyable? Hang up the lat bar! End those leeching gym payments! Throw on a pair of combats and take up break dancing! Everyone needs to find an exercise that makes them feel happy and good - and I'm also pretty chuffed that I can eat a whole packet of BBQ chicken wings tonight without an ounce of guilt. Peace out!
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