January Gym Joiners

January Gym Joiners. Everyone knows who they are, heck – you could even be one of them! As a gym member for many years, I always dread the month of January at the gym. Faces you don’t recognize, extra people taking up “your” equipment, and puzzled looks as they try to figure out just what that machine does. I try not to hate too bad on them. They are TRYING to be healthy. But it always is the same. By the end of January its back to the same people and lots of open equipment.

As I sweated my way through another elliptical workout, I scanned the gym noticing all the January Gym Joiners. They’re easy to spot – they may be doing odd arm swinging motions – somewhere between a stretch and a Jane Fonda workout – or wearing their brand new workout gear complete with fancy headphones and shiny Nikes.

Don’t get me wrong, their intentions are good, but they try too hard and burn themselves out and by February 1^st, they are back on the couch wasting away their gym membership. So January Gym Joiners, here is my advice to you! Don’t expect to look like those who have been going to the gym for years. It takes time and a lot of effort. You won’t be going to the gym 7 days a week period. If you do, you are setting yourself up for burnout and failure. Aim for 3 days a week for the first month – see how it goes. Try new things. If you stick to the treadmill all month, you will be bored and will quit. Don’t be scared to ask how to use the equipment. We old timers will gladly show you how to do it, or the people that work at the gym will. If you go slow and try new things and keep with it, you may make it through January and maybe become a regular, but I think if you are really serious about joining a gym you will do it in any other month but January!

So for my gratefulness project – I am grateful for the snooze button! As my alarm buzzed at 6am I quickly hit the button and snuggled under a mountain of warm blankets for 10 more minutes. Even though I didn’t sleep I allowed my body 10 minutes to come awake and more time to cuddle fuzzy cats! So thank you snooze button!