Ugh. The resolutionaries are back at the gym.

[GoCubsGo]

Any other gym goers here who hate this time of year? Here's your chance to air your gripes about the annual invasion of the New Year's resolution-makers. The crowded parking lot is bad enough, but the ones that annoy me most are the people who come to aerobics and Zumba classes and then don't MOVE. I'm a magnet for those types. Do they think that because they show up for a class that they will automatically get the benefits without having to actually work for them? And, don't get me started on the morons who think the sauna is a private chat room, and leave the damn door open to cool it off.

February can't come soon enough...

[seabeyond]

1. ha ha ha... two weeks top. but funny. hadnt thought about it from a regular

users perspective. that had me gigglin.

[HuckleB]

2. I stopped going to the gym 7 years ago. Biking, hiking and cross-country skiing rock.

Sure, there are more folks on the trails when the weather is perfect, but it's much more peaceful, beautiful and motivating.

And I don't have to watch the newbies every January.

[GoCubsGo]

3. Isn't that nice.

I am glad you found something that works for you. But, not everyone has those options. Many of us don't have places to safely hike and bike, and it doesn't snow here, so no cross-country skiing. There are no trails in my town for hiking. There are no roads that are safe for cycling. Consider yourself lucky that you have those options.

[HuckleB]

4. If you say so.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Yes, I say so.

[noamnety]

6. same here.

Gyms creep me out a little anyway, but beyond that I can't see paying the money for the membership. For that cost, I can just buy minimal equipment and work out in my bedroom. If nothing else, I can learn exercises from youtube.

[GoCubsGo]

7. They don't creep me out.

I just hate this time of year. I tried the work-at-home thing. I don't like having to shampoo my sweat out of the carpets every week. I also find my concrete slab foundation extremely hard on the joints. And, can't afford my own lap pool or sauna.

[noamnety]

10. Yeah, I assumed it didn't creep you out

or you wouldn't be there!

Not sure of your gender, but as a woman I definitely feel like we're on display at gyms. Heck, there's another lounge thread that makes it clear we're on display for male leering when we're just minding our own business buying groceries, let alone working out in exercise clothes and all that.

I don't do the high impact stuff anymore, my joints can't take that at all, but sweat on the floors is easily taken care of either with a mat or blanket, and I can adjust to other exercises pretty cheaply (used exercise bike, or balance ball or kettlebell).

Really, my underlying point was sort of that it's a silly argument for someone with enough expendable income for a gym membership to accuse someone else of being privileged because they get their exercise outside of a gym. I'm not claiming that either of you is necessarily more or less privileged than the other, I just saw the pot, kettle situation developing and was amused by it. (Was trying to point that out less directly in the previous post in the interest of tact, but I guess I don't do tact all that well!)

[GoCubsGo]

13. Huh?

You sure read an awful lot into my posts that wasn't there. I stared this for people who go to the gym to vent. Yet, y'all feel to compelled to hijack it with your "I hate the gym. My way is better." missives. I don't know where you got this "privileged" crap from, but it sure as hell wasn't my point. My point is that we do what works best for us. Privilege has absolutely NOTHING to do with it. Hell, I can't even afford my fucking membership. But, going to a gym is the only way I am going to get a workout in.

[noamnety]

16. I may have misread the "isn't that nice" post

as sarcasm you didn't intend, I guess that hit me wrong. But hey, maybe we're doing you a favor by encouraging people to stay out of gyms, eh? Less crowds for you.

[HuckleB]

8. Indeed.

It's a strange culture that often develops in gyms.

One of the constant themes of gym discussion is "how people have enough time" to do yardwork, etc... Uh, if you worked in the yard, instead of going to the gym, you would accomplish two tasks at once for less money.

It's an odd disconnect that occurred when the world went to offices and automobiles.

[pink-o]

25. And how often does that equipment get used for a few weeks, then gather dust in said bedroom?

Going to the gym at least means you're gonna do SOME kind of workout. If you don't like the machines, there's always classes or free weights. As well as the fact that you buy one piece of equipment and it's yours for life. At the gym, they're always updating, offering new machines and new routines to break through the boredom. You get bored, you stop exercising, and that I know from vast experience.

I too love to be outdoors: I'd rather be on my bike than in a car, in a gym, in an aerobics or yoga class--well, just about anything. But at my age I need more cross-training, so I go to the gym to lift weights and do flex classes so that I'm able to ride my bike more easily. I don't find it creepy, no one hits on me (but I'm old, can't speak for the young ones) no one disturbs me when I'm under the headphones and the other folks are there for the same reason I am: to stay healthy and have some fun!

[noamnety]

37. I'd guess the equipment goes unused

about the same number of times that people pay for gym memberships and don't fully use them.

I dunno, the husband's been using the same weights and exercise bike (in winter, reg. bike in summer) for the 17 years we've been together, he just sticks to his routine. I need more variety, so I get online ideas or library dvds and I'm currently using a kettlebell and a balance ball. I've been using the kettlebell 3 months now, and it cost less than the average cost of a one month membership at a gym, so even if I get bored with it tomorrow and craigslist it, I'm still ahead. Balance balls are even cheaper. I'm pretty anti-social though, heck I stop exercising if the husband walks through the living room while I'm working out.

[GoCubsGo]

41. Not always.

I have a Nordic Trek that hasn't been used in well over a year. I used it more often when I lived where the nearest gym was too inconvenient. But, I really had to force myself to use it. It got excruciatingly boring after 10 minutes. I feel the same way about the treadmills, etc. at the gym. Also, some folks just don't have room for a treadmill or whatever. Especially those who live in apartments. And, speaking of that, there's also the noise factor. I'd hate to live underneath someone who used a Nordic Trek, or jumped around a lot.

I have the ball. I have tubing. I have DVDs. Those rarely get used. Some of us just require different sorts of motivation to exercise. Personally, the expense of the gym membership is a big motivator. I don't like wasting my money. I get my money's worth. Judging by the mass attrition in February, there are an awful lot of people who don't feel the same way I do in that regard.

And, despite the fact that I, too, tend toward the anti-social, most of my local friends are the ones with whom I take classes. They are also great motivators, both by their presence and by their encouragement.

[nadine_mn]

77. I live in beautiful Minnesota that has great trails and stuff. But I need the Y.

We get $20 off per person for our membership if we each go 12 visits a month. When I first lost my job, I cancelled our membership to save money and hoped to take advantage of our gorgeous outdoors to exercise. But after 3 years of not getting off my ass, I realized we need that motivation ($58 vs $98 a month - yes we are still spending money). Since we have rejoined, I have lost 30 pounds, and my husband has lost 40 pounds (we need to lose a lot more but its a start) and have more energy to walk outside that we did before.

Sometimes gyms help give you that kick in the butt.

[HuckleB]

78. If that's what you need, great!

I prefer to get the added bonus of mental health by being outdoors. The gym is just a bizarre, depressing world to me.

[nadine_mn]

79. I guess it depends on your gym - the Y has been a huge source of inspiration

I grew up on the north shore of Lake Superior and spent my free time running around in the woods and trails. I love the outdoors and nature. But, oh boy once you get super fat, you need a little more motivation. Our YMCA has such a great variety of people of all abilities - and whenever I think I am too fat or get depressed, I look at the Y and see older people with walkers kicking my ass around the track, a guy who needs an scooter to get to the pool and is doing water exercises, and seeing people larger than me with no self-consciousness doing what they need to do to get healthy - swim, stretch, bike, walk etc

That really helps me get my ass in gear - when I think "I can't do it" and see someone with bigger physical challenges than I have getting exercise it humbles me to think "I have no damn excuse".

Its way too easy for me to say, ooh its too cold outside or too icy (in the winter) or too hot or too humid (in the summer) or too rainy etc to go outside for a walk. The best benefit of the Y is that my energy is up and now I can walk the dogs outside without getting winded or too sore.

I could never, ever go to one of those gyms like Lifetime or LA fitness - you know where the "beautiful" people go - lol, thats depressing to me!

[obamanut2012]

9. HATE IT

Every year like clockwork. Not knowing gym etiquette or anything else.

The good thing is 95% of them are gone by February 1.

[libodem]

11. Water areobics

Get very crowded this time of year. Three weeks ago class had 5-7 folks, now there must be 30 m-effers in the pool.

Edit the autocorrect .

[GoCubsGo]

20. That's how it is here, too.

I don't do water aerobics, but my gym will be starting AquaZumba this week. I will certainly be giving that a shot, as I do regular Zumba, which is a whole other ball of wax. It will be interesting.

I am actually a lap swimmer on days when there are no classes scheduled (i.e., Sundays), or when there are none that I want to take. It can be really hard to get a lane this time of year. And, often, they're taken up by people can't really swim. I had a guy in the lane next to me this morning who could kindasorta swim. He slapped the water with his arms, and if I happened to be coming up for air when he was passing me, I'd get a mouth full of water. Not very efficient, and it created a lot of turbulence. It was like swimming in a hurricane.

[murielm99]

12. They hog the equipment, too, and don't really use it for much.

I like to do cardio on the recumbent bike after I stretch. Newbies love to pedal that thing in a leisurely manner. I have a hard time getting a turn to use it.

Then there are the one who ask me why I use certain pieces of equipment. They ask, "Is it easier?" I don't go there for easy. I tell them to ask a trainer.

Isn't it strange how you can tell who will stick with it, and who will never show up again after Valentine's Day?

But I love seeing the success stories and the people who have reversed their health problems. There are always a few exceptions.

Yes, it can be an exasperating time of year. But imagine how the trainers must feel, trying to be patient with a whole new crop of people whose hearts are not really in it. And their hearts do have a big stake in it!

For those who finds gyms unnecessary: I do yard work and housework. I walk my dog on a nature trail, too. When I was younger, that helped keep me in shape. When I turned fifty and developed thyroid problems, I had to add something else. So, I found a way to get to the gym three days a week after work. Now my schedule permits me to go earlier in the afternoon.

Everyone has to find their own way to stay healthy. I'm glad you have a way, even if it is not the same as mine.

[GoCubsGo]

29. I'm partial to classes.

I tend to work harder when I have someone urging me on. That, and I get really bored on the bikes and other machines. Then, I wind up slacking off. It's harder to slack off when you have someone "yelling" at you to move it. It's also nice when you miss a class or two, and all the other regulars ask where the heck you've been.

I know what you mean about being able to tell who is going to stick with it. Although, every once in a while, one will surprise me.

And, count me in on the "past 50, low thyroid" thing. The way I keep on going is that I am paying for it, so I'm damn sure going to get my money's worth.

[Quartermass]

14. Oh, now I get it. For a moment I thought you said revolutionaries.

[HuckleB]

15. Ah, so words do have meaning.

[Quartermass]

17. Oh good, now I have a stalker.

So now I have someone who's become utterly obsessed with me and will follow me from thread to thread.

I'm so fulfilled.

[HuckleB]

18. That's funny.

From one logical fallacy of an excuse to another. That explains a lot.

[Quartermass]

19. Keep your conflict with me to yourself, stalker. Let me be and stop bullying me.

[HuckleB]

21. That's right. Stick to a pointless accusation.

In the meantime, it appears that you're fine using language that bullies whole swaths of the human population.

Goodnesss, but that is quite the contradiction. I noted that you realized that words have meanings here, while you made the opposite claim somewhere else.

That's not bullying or stalking. Not by a long shot.

[pink-o]

22. I know EXACTLY what you're saying!

Listen, one of the trainers at my local 24hr became a friend of mine, and he would tell me stories about these amateurs which would be funny if they weren't so tragic. One woman shows up for the session in full face make-up, a bling-y leotard and (seriously) 3 inch pumps. She told my friend that she only wanted to do the stair climber, and she wore the pumps because they make it easier to go uphill. Then there are the guys who get all macho, won't listen, tell my friend they know what they're doing 'cuz they used to play football back in college in the 80s when they weighed 190 and had 7 % body fat. Invariably, the dude would either f**k up the equipment or strain a muscle somewhere.

And these are the people we're dealing with! They've made the resolution to lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks, even though it's taken them a decade to get to the point they're at--and the gyms are at fault too with the aggressive marketing they do, knowing as do the rest of us that by February these yahoos are gonna be long gone.

Just another couple weeks, and it'll all be ours again.

[GoCubsGo]

26. I hear ya!

The make-up thing is what really cracks me up. Why do women spend the time to paint their faces and perfectly coif their hair, and then work out? I don't know about you, but I sweat BUCKETS. There are actual puddles of the stuff under my bike after spinning classes. NO WAY I am going to put any effort into fixing my hair and putting on make-up beforehand. Not that I wear make-up anyway. Heck, half the time my clothes don't even match.

I have heard horror stories from some of the instructors at my gym, too. We get people who want to lose weight, and do some really stupid things. And, sadly, the bulk of them are women. They'll come into class covered in sweat clothes, or you'll still see the occasional guy in a sauna suit. Every so often, the spinning instructors will get a woman who passes out in class. Usually, they're trying to lose weight, and they haven't eaten in two days, or they don't drink anything, believing that they're going to get rid of water weight. I fear one of these days, one of them will go into cardiac arrest.

[Son of Gob]

24. How dare these jerks try to get into shape

Who the fuck do they think they are!

[GoCubsGo]

27. Except that most of them don't even try.

And, that's our gripe. We wouldn't mind it if they were at least trying, but they just come, take up space for a month, and then they disappear.

[Son of Gob]

28. Life's too short to be a gym snob

IMO new members shouldn't be looked at with disdain and scorn. Could be why they disappear.

[GoCubsGo]

31. Who is being a "snob"?

I don't look on anyone with "disdain and scorn" who isn't interfering with those who are trying get in a damn workout. As I said, we are fine with those who try. I welcome them. It's the ones who think that they only have to show up to the gym in order to get in shape that are the issue here.

[HuckleB]

33. It looks you hit the nail on the head.

Ouch!

[GoCubsGo]

36. Nope.

Not by a long shot.

[amyrose2712]

39. Ding! One of the reasons I stopped. Really. Attitude bleeds through sometimes, whether one

realizes it or not. And if you are already fat and out of shape and have low self esteem it doesn't take much.

[GoCubsGo]

45. Pssstt...

I'm about 60 pounds overweight.

[bigwillq]

65. Then I guess you're not going to the gym often enough.

Yes, cheap shot, but the comment kind of fits this thread.

[GoCubsGo]

68. I go every day.

I'm sorry you aren't capable of more mature comments than cheap shots.

[bigwillq]

74. It seems like you don't want folks to take this thread so seriously

It's just a lounge thread and all.
Maybe you should listen to your own advice.

[GoCubsGo]

80. Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.

I started this thread so people could vent, not so people like you could lob cheap shots at us.

[pink-o]

30. Agree with GoCubs! These folks just barge in, hog the equipment and have done NO research

either into gym etiquette or exercise needs. I realize the predatory marketing has probably brought them to our doorstep but they have to take responsibility for their own actions as well. They're like bad American tourists who strongarm their way around foreign countries without ever taking the locals into consideration.

[HuckleB]

32. It's the gym's job to teach its members etiquette, etc...

If the gym isn't doing it's job, perhaps it's time to find another gym.

At the end of the day, I don't buy any of this whine. It's just the usual desire to separate oneself from others. It's an attempt to give oneself an identity with a smaller, select group. It's human, but it's also human to notice one's true motivations.

[GoCubsGo]

35. No one is asking you to "buy any of this whine".

I was just giving folks a place TO whine. What's it to you?

[GoCubsGo]

34. And, some of it is just this stupid need to make New Year's resolutions.

I understand people wanting to get into shape, lose weight, etc. I think an awful lot of people just don't understand what hard work it takes to get there and stay there. And, yeah, marketing does have a lot to do with it. That's what has spawned this "quick fix" mentality with diets, diet pills, 10-minute workouts, etc. People make resolutions to get in shape or lose weight. They come to the gym, take a class, and either decide they really don't want to work that hard, or get discouraged because they didn't drop 10 lbs. after the first class, and quit. It's really frustrating to the "regulars" when we get swarmed with them this time every year. Heck, some of them don't even stay for the whole class, which is really disrupting.

[murielm99]

40. Boy, this thread got out of hand in a hurry.

I understand what you are saying. I know you are venting and sharing with others. You do not mean any harm.

Come on, people, this is the Lounge, not GD. Lighten up!

[GoCubsGo]

46. THANK YOU!!!

[amyrose2712]

38. Its people with this attitude that make some of us stop going.

If you are out of shape it is hard to keep up with people that have been going for years. What you think of someone "not moving" may be the best they can do. At least they attempt. I know I was very self conscious and never would take a class for fear of being ridiculed by the more seasoned gym people. Thanks for proving me correct in my fears.

[GoCubsGo]

44. Wow.

"Ridiculing"? No. Just venting and frustrated. At least at my gym, we "seasoned gym people" go out of our way to accommodate new people. I have NEVER EVER heard someone ridicule a new person. We all understand what it's like getting started, because we have been there. And, we tell them so. But, a lot of people just don't even try, and it's obvious.

[amyrose2712]

47. Maybe ridicule was a little harsh, but it certainly is condescending. Sorry, I guess

you just hit a nerve.

[GoCubsGo]

49. It wasn't meant to be condescending, either.

It was an expression of frustration. When you are hindered from trying to do something that you do because you are trying to improve your health, by people you know are going to be here in another month, you get frustrated. It's not because I feel in any way superior to them. It is because I and the other "regulars" have to endure the same damn thing every year. And, it's not all that hard to tell who is "doing the best they can" and whose heart is just not into it.

And, it's really difficult not to be cranky when you go into the sauna for the five crummy minutes of pleasure you're going to get all week, only to realize that the idiots, who were chatting with the door open when you were headed to the pool for your swim, let all the damn heat out of it.

[amyrose2712]

51. I guess, like I said, you just hit a nerve. And maybe I read too much into it.

[GoCubsGo]

52. Seems you aren't alone in that regard.

I didn't mean to hit a nerve.

Really, I am only venting. One of the reasons I work out is for stress relief. But, that becomes an act of futility when you're surrounded by people who may have the same goals, but don't want to put the same effort into achieving them, and who hinder you from achieving yours in the process.

[amyrose2712]

53. Yea. I guess we all have buttons.

Some get offended by a guy commenting on a female's physical appearance and calling that sexist. I guess I am sexist too because I love hot guys. (And I certainly wouldnt kick Angelina Jolie out of bed)Of course, I like Steve Buscemi too. Go figure.

[pink-o]

56. Amy Rose, I hope you understand that GCG and I were not ridiculing

those folks who're sincere and trying to change their lives. I was once one of them: I always starved myself in my 20s and 30s, hoping I could become a conventionally sized woman. See, in the 70s and 80s, women were 5'5" and weighed about 115. I was 6'1" and weighed about 165. I tried every stupid diet, every device, every program you could thrust in front of me and only got fatter. I made it up to 190 by the time I was 36. Then circumstances alone changed me: I had bought a HUGE lemon of a car, lost a good job and ended up working for half the wages I'd made the previous year. So I started walking and biking everywhere (my car seriously scared me) and without a lot of money for luxuries, I gave up the restaurants and started cooking at home.

When I was 37, with half the effort I'd attempted in the past, I suddenly weighed 150. And I took a good look at the weight-loss industry and finally understood the snake-oil salesmen and the marketing ploys. Now, 20 years later, I'm still 6'1" and weigh about 143. I credit the gym with being a huge factor in helping me get my metabolism under control.

And now, I go to the gym to stave off the arthritis, metabolic slow-down and all the other ailments that come with a sedentary old age. I will NEVER take pharmaceuticals, I will die on the spinning bike first!

So I see the way some of the newbies watch me, and they don't know my past history, they only see the Praying Mantis Woman working her triceps or doing squats. But I don't snob them out. Never. I know all too well what it feels like to have that hope in your heart, and also an impending feeling of failure right behind it. I cheer the ones who REALLY try, who are open to learning, who don't come to the gym in come-f**k-me gear but are there to improve their lives. I saw, more power to them!

[Odin2005]

42. Me! the local Y is always packed.

[Phentex]

48. We go to the Y, too...

I like it! We do the Fitlinxx machines and notice the huge rise in numbers around now. But it will die down by February.

[GoCubsGo]

50. They're opening one in my town next week.

I'm hoping it takes away some of the crowd from my gym.

[tabbycat31]

43. I could have written your post

When I am not on a campaign, I am a gym rat (as campaigns are not very good to your body).

I only started doing classes last month (I need to lose the spare tire around my waist) and in December they averaged 15-20 per class. Now they're topping 50 and it's insane.

Can Valentines Day just hurry up and get here so I can get my classes back (better yet make me an RFD so I can freeze my membership and be productive again).

[Duer 157099]

54. Thanks for the tip.

I'll join in February.

[Swede]

55. Hey,Che,quit hogging the pec deck!

[BlueJazz]

57. I think a good idea would be a "Lion Gym"

You build this large track...like a horse track....and get people to sign a waiver.

You let your customers start running. After they reach the 1/2 mile pole, you let the
hungrey lion loose. He's trained to only run one way so those in front have no worries.
...and the added bonus ...the lion only ah..."Feeds" once a day.

[hedgehog]

58. I'm a winter gym person - from mid April into

late November I work out in my garden hauling mulch and pulling weeds. Generally from December to late March I'm forced indoors by a combination of hip deep snow and cold air induced asthma.

[GoCubsGo]

59. Around here, that's the worst time to be outside.

Summers here suck for outdoor exercising. It's usually in the 90s with matching humidity levels. Unless you can get up and work out at the crack of dawn, you risk heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Or, asphyxiation from the ozone. March through May are horrible for pollen-related allergies, as is the late fall. November to April is usually okay, except when it's raining.

[RZM]

60. Good for them, I say

I hope they stick with it. I did notice that it was a bit more crowded the other day, but I didn't mind at all. Health is a good thing, even if I'm slightly inconvenienced by it.

[suninvited]

61. while it may be annoying to you

your gym owners are probably loving it. Many people will continue to pay several months after they really stop coming and the best case scenario will be the resolutionist who signed some kind of contract where they will be forced to pay for one to three years or get taken to court for not paying for services they aren't using.

The gyms probably really count on the January memberships and can maybe buy some new equipment or something else that will benefit the members who are inconvenienced for a short time.

[unionworks]

62. Throughout the 90s

Last edited Mon Jan 9, 2012, 11:45 AM - Edit history (1)

I was a martial artist. Started at age 33, in 91. Fell head over heels with the discipline, and supplemented my training at the gym to speed my progress. Money was abundant then, at one point I was studying two different styles, had 2 gym memberships (one near home and one near work), and was working 60 plus hours a week. Get off work, go to the gym, then go to a class. I felt great and had lots of energy. At 6ft., I weighed 200 to 210. When 2002 arrived, the martial arts school closed due to the economy, no one had discretionary income for anything. Then my workplace folded. Got another job, same thing happened. And it just got worse. Could no longer maintain a gym membership. Started drinking and eating too much. Within the last year, I managed to get things back under control, but the damage is done. I weigh in at a tad over 300 lbs, and the weight prevents me from performing even the most elementary forms of what I learned.
So, as I'm planning on doing, when I walk back into the gym, I'm going to be seen as a "resolutionary" who can't even fit on some of the exercise machines. Me, for whom 4 hour murderous workouts and practice was a daily religion.

Know what? I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks. I'm the one responsible for my own health and fitness. And after a year or two, I will make YOU gym snobs look like the "resolutionaries". I did it once - the second time will be even more fun.

[GoCubsGo]

70. Good for you.

As long as you stay and work out, we don't care. More power to you. Nobody is complaining about people who are trying to get fit. It's the ones who just show up and don't do anything but get in the way of the rest of us that we have the problems with.

[unionworks]

72. I know what you mean

I have spent plenty of time waiting to use equpment while someone was sitting on it bullshitting with people. My pet peeve was those who would set a machine on near no weight at all then stay on it for an hour.

[bigwillq]

63. I never go to the gym

So I don't have to worry about these folks. I work out 5 days a week from the comfort of my home. I can do all the things I do with the equipment I have at my house. It's cheaper too!

[unionworks]

64. great

if your living space is big enough to accomodate the equipment. Believe me, there were times I wish I could work out in privacy. More power to you!

[LynneSin]

66. I solved my problem with this. I am using a personal trainer

It's expensive as hell but I need to do something about my weight and my biggest failure with every diet is the excerize. I can do the eating, but after a month when I've lost like 3 ounces, I realize it's not the eating plan but the fact that I went to the gym just once the entire time.

So I have dropped some serious cash on a personal trainer that I will see twice a week for the next 3 months. Luckily my health care spending plan will cover about half of it.

But here's a thought - maybe one of those new people might end up being a new friend. Why not say 'hello' to a few of them. Maybe if people were friendilier at the gym I'd go more often instead of paying someone to work out with me for the next 3 months.

[GoCubsGo]

71. They are going to be gone in a month.

We do say hello to them. We are friendly to them. We help them set up their bikes for spinning class. They leave after ten minutes. We help them set up for every other class. No problem. We even offer them encouragement. If they most of them never even finish the classes let alone come back for another one. Then, they disappear after a month and we don't see them again. It's the same thing year after year. It has nothing to do with people not being friendly.

[barbtries]

67. have a heart.

not everyone is as fit as you. at least they're trying.
personally i don't even bother with resolutions any more. i got tired of hating on myself when they went splat.

[GoCubsGo]

69. They are NOT all trying.

I have a heart for the ones who do. I don't for the ones who think that just showing up is going to turn them into Tony Horton or Jillian Whatsherface. They get in the way of those who are trying.

[Yavin4]

73. I Hear You

I can't stand the folks that just hover around the weights and chit chat. They're in the way, and they make it difficult to move the weights around.

I like a gym because of the diversity of equipment. You cannot duplicate that in a home gym.

[libodem]

75. Water Zumba?

Our instructor has been bringing oldies to move to. I just saw a show today that explained the Zumba Latin rhythm and the boodie pop move. Looks fun.

Noticed some up thread like housework and yardwork for calorie burning activity. Me, too. But for sustained movement the water protects my low back and nerve damaged legs. I'm a virtual ballet dancer in the pool.

I about killed myself using lopers to cut long wild ass rose branches off an arbor this fall. Pinched nerves in my neck and shoulder, lasted a month.

Not all of us can burn off all our extra calories in the back yard, gardening. But I'd love, too.

[GoCubsGo]

81. Regular Zumba is fun.

I haven't tried AquaZumba yet. The first class is tomorrow. I watched the instructors while they were getting training for it, and it looks like a great work out. The regular Zumba is loads of fun, but one has to check any worries about what others think of them at the door. Lots of butt wiggling, etc., and nobody really cares what you look like doing it. Thanks to all that butt wiggling, I haven't had any low back pains since I started doing it. And, like every other aerobics class, one gets out what they put into it. Several people at my gym have lost lots of weight doing it. There are DVDs available for those who want to do it at home.

[nadine_mn]

76. Its been pretty crowded at the Y

We re-upped our membership last year around this time to take advantage of the sign up specials. We are very obese so we need the motivation!

I have lost roughly 30 pounds and my husband has lost about 40 (still barely a dent in what we have to lose). We were those people last year, but we have stuck to it for the last 12 months and now we can complain about the newbies.

I hope more people stick it out (even its a little crowded) and not give up in 2 weeks.

I am tired of the people who don't read the "No Cell phones in the Locker room" signs and bring in their phones - you know cuz it doesn't apply to them.