Resolutions

You guys, I'm moving and the situation is really stressful for a lot of personal and familial reasons that I won't delve into right now - if ever - but it's got me going through a bit of a rough patch. Rough enough that I am leaning (briefly) on pharmaceutical aids to cope. So my posting may seem a bit off or be a bit late. Apologies. But I will try to rally to the cause.

Today I want to talk about something I've been seeing a lot since the new year, specifically from several Facebook friends of mine, but also heard from a few buddies in person, that is really starting to piss me off. It's this sense of fitness/gym entitlement. I cannot begin to count the number of statuses I've seen or complaints I've heard about all these New Year's resolution losers crowed up the gyms this time of year and how annoying it is that they would dare enter such a place when they clearly don't know what they're doing and just get in everyone's way.

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MAH! How dare people try to get healthy!

I'm paraphrasing of course, but that is a pretty damn accurate representation of the feelings that have been expressed to me. As one of the schmucks who's decided to get fit in the new year, I would like to respond:

Fuck you.

Seriously guys? You don't own the gym. Those people pay just as much as you do for the right to use it. And okay, maybe some of them don't care as much as you, aren't as dedicated as you, but that doesn't mean they don't have the right to be there. Everyone has to start somewhere, including you. Maybe it's been long enough that you don't remember what it's like to be starting down this road, but trust me, you did not pop out of your mama's womb with a six pack. You worked for it, and you probably sucked at first too. Exercise is a skill that has to be learned like any other, so cut the newbies some slack while they acclimate. Maybe they need more downtime during the class because they haven't done it before and need to catch their breath sooner than you. Maybe they got lost during the routine because it's the first time they've tried it, or they pause to make sure they see the correct way to do a particular move. Maybe they're not yet familiar with all the gym policies so they make a few etiquette mistakes. Give them the benefit of the doubt, you don't know that person's life. And for fuck's sake, lighten up!

"BUT!" you begin to whine, "They'll all disappear in a few weeks anyway because they don't really even care! Why should we have to put up with their intrusion and ignorance?" Well again, first and foremost, because you don't have exclusive rights to working out or the work out space. This is 2015. You should have learned to share a long time ago. Reacquaint yourself with the practice. Second, yes, many people will probably abandon fitness resolutions shortly into the new year, but odds are at least a few will stick around and if you check the bad attitude you may end up with a new gym buddy. Furthermore, have you ever considered the possibility that your condescending negativity toward them may be the very reason some of them quit? Who would want to stick with a goal, however noble, when the very people who should support and encourage you make you feel like a loser for even trying. If they're going to feel shitty about themselves either way, skipping gym days is certainly less work and money.

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You never know how profound an effect
your bad attitude can have on someone.

Maybe try being encouraging next time you see a new person at your gym, offer to help them find where things are, or give them some pointers about a particular machine or class. Educate instead of rolling eyes at their ignorance. Then, eventually they won't be ignorant, they will be healthier, and they'll have you to thank for it.

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And in case you were wondering, I'm one of those people who's been sticking with it so far - 5 weeks of intense workouts EVERY DAY - but I exercise at home with P90x3 because the kind of judgmental attitude described above is shockingly common and is exactly what I want to avoid. A person trying to better themselves should never be mocked or scoffed at for doing so just because it might be a minor inconvenience to you.

TLDR: Stop being a dick-faced, gym hipster as though you're the first human to discover the benefits of exercise and so no one else is even allowed to try. If you can't be helpful, just steer clear. Why is anyone else's fitness routine your business anyway?

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