Stop Being Lazy: 10 Reasons to go to the Gym
If you need reasons to go to the gym, chances are you’re lazy. But don’t worry, I won’t judge you. Everyone needs some motivation every once in a while. Even though you might be slacking on the gym going, statistically speaking you’re not alone. About 67% of people who have gym memberships never use them and those who do go to the gym, average only around 2 times a week.
With that being said, you’re probably still wondering what I can say to convince you to get your ass in the gym. Well don’t worry I’m about to outline 10 awesome reasons to go to the gym.
If my list here doesn’t get you moving and on track to a more healthy lifestyle, then I’m afraid you might be a lost cause…
Reason #1: It’s plain healthy
I’m just going to go ahead and state the obvious upfront. Going to the gym is healthy. If you’re just starting and feel like you aren’t making progress, give yourself a pat on the back for at least making the effort. Going to the gym is just the first step. The gym is a magical place, but it’s not mystical. You can’t just sign up, walk in the gym and have the gym gods grant you a healthy body. It’s going to take work and dedication.
However as I just said, going to the gym puts you on the path to a healthy lifestyle and that’s what our end goal is. It’s your path to success, you just have to work at it.
There’s no question that there is a direct correlation between healthy active individuals and gym going. It’s a simple as that.
Reason #2: Feel better about yourself
I don’t know about you but I feel pretty damn good about myself after I leave the gym. It just feels good to be healthy. I think this is one of the most important reasons to go to the gym.
A lot of people overlook this aspect of lifting and fitness. If you look good, you are going to feel better about yourself. It’s like a chain reaction, you start lifting, you start to look better, you start to feel better, and when you start feeling better about the way you look your going to gain confidence. A lot of confidence.
More importantly though, this confidence you’re going to gain has direct real world benefits. It can help you in your relationships, your job, your friends and just your entire social life in general.
I’ve said before fitness is a lifestyle and that is exactly what I mean. When you feel better about yourself and your living that healthy lifestyle the rest of your life just falls into place. You’ll have a sort of confidence you didn’t have before. It will change your mentality. There’s not many other activities that can change so much in your everyday life.
Reason #3: Great way to relieve stress
Does your 9 to 5 have you feeling down? How about that nagging girlfriend or wife? Hitting the gym is one of the best stress relievers you can find. For me the gym is my getaway, its my place to forget everything that’s going on in my life and focus on myself.
So hit the gym, turn that phone off and do your body some good. By treating your body right you’ll start to feel better mentally. Suddenly after you’ve killed your workout for the day you’ll walk out of the gym with this euphoric feeling and feel like nothing can stop you. All that stress you came to the gym with has likely disappeared.
It’s just like punching your pillow when you were a kid, only this time your throwing up weights and gaining some muscle mass. You’ll work towards your goals and get rid of that annoying stress. Sounds like a much better deal to me.
Reason #4: It’s something to do
Here’s a thought: why not go to the gym? Ever have some free time and really wonder to yourself what you could be doing at that very moment? Why not just go to the gym? Now there’s a thought. The gym can be a great “getaway”. It’s a place you can go to better yourself. In short, it will give you something to do; something to look forward to.
Hitting the gym will not only keep you entertained, but also keep you from doing things you shouldn’t.
It can easily set the precedent for the rest of your daily life. Your far less likely to hit your local Burger King after sweating it out in the gym. In other words, it can put you on the ‘health train’ as some like to call it. And once you get on, it’s pretty damn hard to fall off.
Reason #5: Live longer
I’m not sure about you, but I want to stay on this earth as long as I can. That’s perfectly natural, it’s ingrained in our DNA as humans.
Well let me let you in on a little secret, to live a long healthy life you need to first be healthy. It may seem obvious, but I am often shocked out how many people just stand by idle why their life slips between their finger tips. They often think “Oh, I’ll start eating right next week.” or “I’ll go to the gym tomorrow”. I find so many people who have that “tomorrow is another day” attitude.
That’s not good enough. If you want to live longer, exercise on a daily basis and eat right. The time to get started is now and any other excuse you might have is not good enough. Sorry (not really).
Reason #6: Have a nice body
Nine times out of 10 wanting to have a nice body is the main reason you’re going to go and join a gym in the first place. In fact, I’d venture to say that that’s what gyms are for. Crazy right?
Being healthy is always great. It’s good for your body and it’s just good for your overall health and longevity. However, a lot of times being healthy will earn you a nice body too. Who doesn’t want a super hot bod? I sure as hell do. It’s no secret that humans are instinctively more attracted to healthy looking individuals. It’s embedded in our DNA as humans. We want to procreate with other healthy people so our children have a stronger chance of survival. Weird right?
On another note, as dumb as it may sound, having a nice body can help you out more than you would think. It will give you confidence. It will improve your social life as I mentioned before. It can even help you get a job!
So just in case your not interested in the whole health thing, now look at hitting the gym from a business perspective! Looking to land that new job? Maybe you should consider shedding a few pounds first…
Reason #7: It’s a good hobby
As a frequent gym goer myself, one thing I’ve noticed after I talk to people who hit the gym on the regular basis is that we all have one thing in common: we made the gym our hobby.
Lot’s of people have hobbies. Some collect coins, others stamps and some like to ski. But I’m different some would say, because when they ask me, I tell them that the gym is my hobby. Not only is just a hobby, it’s a damn good hobby.
If you find something you like to do, stick with it. Make it your hobby. The gym is great for that because there is so much to learn and you can set goals and watch yourself achieve them. It’s one of those things that you can easily get addicted to.
Some would say it’s bad to be addicted to anything, but if you ask anyone with a great physique they will be the first to tell you that the gym is a great place to be, whether your addicted or not. In fact, it’s healthy.
Reason #8: Get away from the elements
Okay so maybe you’re a little frugal with your money and are thinking to yourself: “Why join a gym when I can exercise at home”. That’s cool I get that, but what happens when it rains or snows? Or in the dead of summer when it’s 100 degrees and super humid? Are you still going to go for that run? Not likely.
If you have a gym membership, you’ll be more likely to not skip training or skip that run and hit the gym anyway. It’s just plain fact. Unless you like the snow or heat strokes, than that’s on you.
You have to look at the gym as investment. That might sound weird but it’s an investment in yourself. It may not reciprocate monetarily, but it will reciprocate in your health. Stop worrying so much about the cost aspect. You only have one body and you should take care of it. Invest in your longevity of life. You won’t regret it in the end.
Reason #9: See your friends
The gym can be a great place to socialize and see your friends. Now I’m not saying let it get in the way of your workout, but with proper gym socializing etiquette (yea I made that up) it can be a great way to catch up with your buddies.
So what exactly is ‘gym socializing etiquette’?
Well if your gym is anything like my gym, there are probably a lot of regular people that go there. Some might be your friends and some might just be people you only see at the gym. Each situation needs to be dealt with with proper gym tact. So let me give you some tips for each each:
Seeing friends at the gym:
- keep it short
- ask about their workout
- ask about school/work etc
- MOVE ON
It’s great to see your friends at the gym but don’t let it mess up your workout. Be polite/cool and move on.
Seeing a gym regular:
- give a nod or wave
- if they engage in conversation keep it short
- politely ask about workout
- MOVE ON
Again, I can’t stress this enough: be social but don’t let it interrupt your workout or your friends. At the end of the day, everyone is at the gym to work on themselves. Don’t take that time away from them or yourself. That’s just impolite.
Reason #10: Improve athletic ability
While it’s true a lot of our athletic abilities are genetic, it’s also true that a lot of physical strength and power is attained in the gym. Physical strength and power go hand and hand with overall athleticism and that’s a fact.
If you’re looking to gain some athletic dominance there is no better place to attain that than in the gym. Whether you are looking to try out for the soccer team or the football team or just want to improve your athleticism in general, lifting weights is one of your best bets.
While there are a lot of lifts you can do to become a better athlete, there a few more well known ones.
In other words, I’m talking about power cleans, and squats. These two lifts a lone can transform your body, in both looks and power.
Conclusion:
It’s alright if you aren’t the most motivated individual in the gym. As long as you are trying and want to improve yourself you already have the recipe for success. You just have to dedicate yourself and you will find success. It may take a while but you will get there. So get in the gym and be active and live a healthy lifestyle. No excuses!
Article: Brodie Schroeder
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