Do you realize how many well-meaning Americans with great intentions join a gym during the first week in January? Before this pregnancy, I was going to the gym every Monday through Friday throughout the year (after having a gastric bypass in 2001, I’m pretty motivated to not go back to my pre-surgery body).
Most of the time, the machines at the Bally Total Fitness where I work out are pretty easy to get to. There are loads and loads of treadmills, bikes and elliptical trainers as well as several series of circuit training machines and loads of free weights. No lines and no waiting are great perks to going to this gym.
Well, every year in January, it is just terrible! The good news for those of us who are regulars is that the first week in January is the worst of it. There are fewer people during the second week and even less during the third week. By the end of January, it is still pretty full but not nearly as packed as it was during the first week of the year. By February, the gym is usually back to its usual business and not crowded at all.
While this is great news for regulars, it is really sad for those poor folks who jumped on the “join a gym” bandwagon and only exercised for a few weeks before quitting altogether. What is even more sad is that they’ve signed a contract with the gym and will continue to pay their membership fees whether they work out or not. That is money down the drain and a terrible way to start the new year.
Don’t be one of those people!
Beginning on January 6th, I’ll be posting blogs here at Families.com in the Weight Loss, Fitness and Food Blogs that will walk you through the Body-for-Life Challenge, one day at a time, and help you complete the challenge without having to spend money on joining a gym, getting a trainer or buying specialized foods and supplements.
Why? Because you don’t need all of that!
Give yourself a chance to succeed. I’ll make it very easy for you to stick with the program. If you can stick it out for the first month and still want to join a gym then be my guest but I recommend doing your workouts at home in January. The crowds at gyms in January are ridiculous anyway!
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