I have a new hobby. It's called exercise. Have you heard of it? It's pretty sweet.
I prefer to work out at a gym, not only because of all of the great equipment and fitness classes available, but also because I can continue to practice my Scarcity Myth Experiment techniques on the many attractive men at the gym. (Priorities, right?) Oh, and the company I work for pays for my gym membership if I go twelve times a month! So that means I'm working out with great equipment, awesome fitness classes, and attractive men FOR FREE. Does it get any better than that?
Didn't think so.
One of the other things I like to do at the gym is people-watch. There are some real characters at that place. My favorites are the guys who yell at the top of their lungs when they're lifting weights, and the people who sing along with their iPod while walking on the treadmill, completely unaware that everyone around them can hear them. And then there are the die-hards, the ones who use that one crazy resistance machine that everyone else is afraid of. Or the ones who contort their bodies in all kinds of crazy positions because they read in Rock Hard Fitness! magazine that standing on your head while curling 20-pound weights with your toes reduces the risk of throat cancer by 55 percent. These people are my heroes.
One of the main groups of people I love to watch are the couples. (I'm sure that comes as a surprise.) You can always tell when a man and a woman working out together are involved romantically. The younger couples are flirtatious, and usually very hot. The couples who appear to have been married for 30-plus years are typically diverse in their gym activities. One day they're doing yoga, the next day it's the elliptical, the next it's swimming. You can tell these people just love being active, and they love being active together.
Of course, I'm talking about the people who are regulars. But what about the average joe couple? What about the boyfriend and girlfriend who've been dating for only a couple of months? Or the husband and wife who haven't stepped foot inside a gym since before they walked down the aisle? I'm guessing that, in these cases, the desire to work out together might be a little different.
I've only had one boyfriend with whom I went to the gym, and it wasn't fun. At all. I was self-conscious, first of all. I'm not one of those girls who looks pretty while working out. No, I sweat and my face gets red and there's jiggling... it's just not a pretty sight. Plus, it was awkward to know when to talk to him and when not to. And everyone around us could hear our conversations. None of it felt natural to me, and I prefer to feel good when I exercise, not awkward and insecure.
On the other hand, I also don't like the isolating feeling of going to the gym by myself. I love my workouts and I want to talk to someone about them! I want to share the ups and downs of setting a fitness goal and then accomplishing it. I want for someone to hold me accountable, and for me to hold someone else accountable. It seems like a boyfriend/husband would be a natural fit for such a role.
What do you think? Let's take it to the polls!
Working out at a gym with your spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend... Yay or nay?
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5 comments:
Dan and I just started doing Aqua Burn together and we love it! So I vote yay!
Spouse: Yay.
Boyfriend: Nay.
I dated a guy in college who l-o-v-e-d the gym. Still does, probably. And while we were together, it was great. He was all kinds of buff, knew how all the different machines worked, could correct my form, etc. It was great.
Then we broke up.
Going to the gym became one of those "I really want to go, but I don't want to awkwardly run into him and have a weird, tense conversation over the triceps machine" situations.
The only time I went to the gym with my husband was when we used to play racquetball together every week or so, and it was great. We're both very competitive, so needless to say, it was a great workout.
Instead of working out with girlfriends, I used to get my social gym fix by taking step classes and getting to know the women there. It was always tricky starting a fitness routine with a girlfriend, because if they quit or slow down, it's too easy to do the same.
(Now I don't have the time to go to a gym, so we just have a treadmill in the basement. Not as fun as the gym, but it's something. (And I can sing as loud as I want to my iPod, and no one can blog about me!)
I say mostly Yay ~ we tried doing the gym thing as a couple before we got married...didn't work out so well. He was too much of a muscle-head and I couldn't bench 300.
But for the cardio stuff it's great to have someone to witness your greatness! Or to whine with.
First off, a confession. I'm a straight 26 year old guy who checks out a male every time I'm in the gym-the one in the mirror. I was a college athlete. Then I got hurt and got fat. Now I'm in better shape than ever. I love looking at my arms, my calves, maybe more than I like checking out chicks. Well, that didn't get me any dates.
Ok, a guy's perspective is needed on this.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
No. No to being on the treadmill together. No to doing strength training together. No to chatting by the water fountain. No. No. No. No. No.
Disclaimer:
1. I'm a triathlete. I'm there to accomplish a goal. Having a girlfriend there with me does not make any more sense than having my girlfriend sit at the edge of my desk and watch me type.
2. I'm an introvert. This is my "alone time" during the day.
There aren't many "little things" that would drive me crazy enough to break up with a girl, but that list includes:
1. A girl who nags me about video games (I play maybe 3 hours a week).
2. A girl who says anything bad about: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jay-Z, or Bob Dylan.
3. A girl who follows me around the gym and expects me to talk to her.
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