What Keeps People From Going to Gyms?

Many of us have good intentions of going to the gym on a regular basis, but why don’t we even get through the front doors? What Keeps People From Going to Gyms?
Many of us have good intentions of going to the gym on a regular basis, but why don’t we even get through the front doors?

What is it we are avoiding by not going to the gym?

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, recently polled over 1,500 Web site visitors posing the question “What keeps you from going to the gym?”

“Your choice in a gym should be a carefully considered decision in order to maximize your membership,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “Be sure to do your homework and find a facility that meets your specific needs and fits your personality and lifestyle. The type of health club you select can have a profound impact on how well you adhere to your fitness program.”

The results are in:

* 46 percent of Web site visitors say they don’t go to the gym because
it’s too crowded

* 21 percent say they don’t go because they don’t know what they’re
doing

* 19 percent feel they’ll be the only one who isn’t “buff” or already in
good shape

* 11 percent say rude gym etiquette keeps them from going (i.e., not
wiping off a machine after a cardio workout or not letting others work
in on a weight machine)

* 3 percent said they’re afraid to ask questions

ACE offers several tips to help you achieve your fitness goals when an
overcrowded gym keeps you away.

* Head to the gym when there may not be as many people around. For
example, early in the morning or at lunch

* Consider taking your fitness routine outside by running, walking or
bike riding

* For strength training at home, use household items like soup cans or
your own body weight to work major muscle groups

* Try working out to an exercise video or CD

Check out ACE’s Fit Fact(TM) “How to Choose a Health Club” at
https://www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.cfm?itemid=111.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is
a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical
activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness
products and instruction. American Council on Exercise