One year at the gym - 10 reason why joining the gym is a smart choice!

I will be completing one year at my Gym this coming Saturday.

Sometime in early January 2012, my elliptical broke. I had a basic manual elliptical to kick start weight loss for me when I had just delivered Chittu and weighed a ton! One morning when I pushed the pedal hard and felt something break under me. A part of the welding had come off and I was grateful I did not have  abad accident.

In mid-January, I joined the gym after a great deal of should I/ shouldn't I? But it was only in mid-march that I got an annual gym membership. The decision made sense financially. But the huge question was - Will I go?

I remember joining the gym, being newly wed. I took an annual package. This must have been in August. August is monsoon time in Bangalore. I remember to have woken up a couple of mornings to find it drizzling outside. Oh what a great excuse and I went back to sleep. In return for that annual membership, I only went two days if I remember right!

Fast forward to this or rather 2012 when I began to take fitness seriously. I began to push weights, joined the aerobics class, was hooked on to yoga, also became a body pump fan and basically became used to exercise. Did I forget to mention running?? Oh yes, I began to run hauling my big fat behind with me. What a journey it has been!

So quickly, can I tell you why joining a gym could be a smart choice?

1. Options. Plenty. Cardio today? Recumbent bike or elliptical or treadmill? Pilates today? Sounds like fun. Body pump? what is that? So yes I love the options I get at my gym in terms of exercising

2. Inspiration - like the grandmother I know who does the pump class with me and pushes more weights than I do. WOW!

3. Routine. A gym enables a routine. Like having a class at 7 on Tuesdays and Thursdays means I only need to figure out how to work out the other 5 days of the week. 

4. No excuses. Rainy or hot or cold. The gym is there and so is the ambient temperature thanks to the AC.

5. Safety. Oh yes especially being a woman.

6. Flexibility. I know I said routine. But look at it if my son wakes up crying in the morning, I trade my morning run for evening gym cardio! And also if I oversleep on weekends, I can always run on the treadmill right? Yayyy!!!

7. Hot men. Ya ya, I'm married and all. But still who will miss an opprtunity to oggle at those hot guys?No?

8. Motivation. Yes many fellow weight loss attempters who I have seen losing weight in front of my eyes. Really, nothing is more motivating than a weight loss success stiry!

9. Music. Yea man I love some of those workout songs, and can you believe it? The body pump squat track is The Summer of 69!

10. Cute work out wear. And shoes!!!! Yes, don't you think?

So yes, while it could be an expensive affair and I know good gyms are, I'd still like to believe that I'm actually investing some amount back into myself. And yes its totally worth it because it helps you break barriers that you rhought were impossible to break.

I know many people say they will instead run or walk a mile a day. Yes I do admit that should be good enough too. And I've had my fair share of being there and finding stupid excuses to not walk. But something changed for me this time and I am really glad!