Paying for the gym; can’t! Won’t!
gallicinvasion
Posts: 1,015 Member
Had an interesting talk with my brother the other day, and he vocalized a lot of the reasons why I feel such hesitation in paying for a gym membership or fitness classes.
He was voicing his amazement that we’ve set up a society that prioritizes labor-saving and being sedentary (the US’s obsession with cars, work mechanization, home-cleaning gadgets, and our addiction-like relationship with smartphones, TV, etc), sometimes at great cost to the consumer. And this lifestyle means we’re far more sedentary. And then we are sold back health and exercise (we pay to perform labor that isn’t producing anything but the muscles we used to have through our day-to-day labors) through gyms and fitness classes. Always at cost to the consumer.
No one to blame but corporations, general capitalism and the hand of the market, but I thought this was fascinating. I do purposeful exercise 3 days a week, 15 min each, at home with a small set of weights, so I’ve paid into it a little bit, and I’m still doing labor that doesn’t produce anything except a tiny bit of muscle on my bones 😂 but at least I’m not paying monthly for it.
Context, although our identities shouldn’t have a bearing on how y’all receive these ideas: my brother has always been an active person in his day to day life, biking to work and for pleasure, hiking on long weekends to explore new places. He works outdoors, as a director for our city’s composting program. I have never been a person who gravitates towards activity, and have struggled with weight since late high school. Recently lost 98 lbs and have found great success in building more activity into my day (parking 15 min away from work, making multiple trips, only taking the stairs and not the escalator, saying yes to more walking tours, days in the city, hiking, etc).
And we’re both pretty anti-capitalist 😂 or at least, we are well aware of the severe problems that our current economic systems create for the disadvantaged.
Anyone else have similar feelings towards paying for the gym?
He was voicing his amazement that we’ve set up a society that prioritizes labor-saving and being sedentary (the US’s obsession with cars, work mechanization, home-cleaning gadgets, and our addiction-like relationship with smartphones, TV, etc), sometimes at great cost to the consumer. And this lifestyle means we’re far more sedentary. And then we are sold back health and exercise (we pay to perform labor that isn’t producing anything but the muscles we used to have through our day-to-day labors) through gyms and fitness classes. Always at cost to the consumer.
No one to blame but corporations, general capitalism and the hand of the market, but I thought this was fascinating. I do purposeful exercise 3 days a week, 15 min each, at home with a small set of weights, so I’ve paid into it a little bit, and I’m still doing labor that doesn’t produce anything except a tiny bit of muscle on my bones 😂 but at least I’m not paying monthly for it.
Context, although our identities shouldn’t have a bearing on how y’all receive these ideas: my brother has always been an active person in his day to day life, biking to work and for pleasure, hiking on long weekends to explore new places. He works outdoors, as a director for our city’s composting program. I have never been a person who gravitates towards activity, and have struggled with weight since late high school. Recently lost 98 lbs and have found great success in building more activity into my day (parking 15 min away from work, making multiple trips, only taking the stairs and not the escalator, saying yes to more walking tours, days in the city, hiking, etc).
And we’re both pretty anti-capitalist 😂 or at least, we are well aware of the severe problems that our current economic systems create for the disadvantaged.
Anyone else have similar feelings towards paying for the gym?
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Hmm, not sure I get the relevance, unless I’m the grinch for taking away the Christmas-like joy of the gym!Back4Aminute wrote: »I've seen that movie a few times. How the grinch stole Christmas. 😊
😂0 -
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Back4Aminute wrote: »gallicinvasion wrote: »
Hmm, not sure I get the relevanceBack4Aminute wrote: »I've seen that movie a few times. How the grinch stole Christmas. 😊
Lol i should have bolded but i meant the consumer america your brother was talking about.
Lol true!!
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I actually think my gym membership is a great investment to my health. I don’t mind paying one bit. It’s cheaper in the long run as I get older I won’t be in hospital for diseases prevented by exercising/ maintaining a healthy lifestyle and I’ll be saving money to see doctors, specialist, medications etc.. and it’s like therapy for me too! Great stress reliever.. the gym has saved me on many occasions. It’s a place I can go to that keeps me grounded and stable when everything else is falling apart!16
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I think we can all agree that staying active and exercising are very good for your body. But i think this is more about the societal implications of building our lives around labor-saving measures, so much so that we literally have created an industry around expending our energy (in ways that don’t produce any useful product) in order to get our physical fitness back.
Like, when people get exercise by biking to work, or by painting their baby’s room, or by stacking canned foods for the homeless, that labor produces some good! And we always need more of it! Labor spent lifting weights for the individual’s health is also good, but the same could be accomplished if we directed that human energy towards physical labor that helps people.
Now obviously I’m a hypocrite because i don’t expend my energy stacking canned foods for homeless shelters. My armchair-philosophizing only extends to me saving $20 a month by lifting weights at home instead of giving the money to planet fitness CEO’s.
BUT. I’m wondering if others feel similarly! Maybe we can start a movement of “get fit by helping humankind!” all about expensing physical energy doing useful work that improves life for the disadvantaged.3 -
There is a big difference between activity and exercise. Household chores, painting a room, getting some exfra steps in is great ways to be more active. However it is not to be considered exercise. Elevated fat burning heart rate, and resistance muscle building training can be achieved through exercise. Technology and automation may have made our lives more sedentary for sure, but thats all the reason a lot of people need a gym to offset the effects of it. Sure, you can choose to do at home workouts, but in a real practical world there are many people that will not, or cannot do that. Whether it be from lack of knowledge, or from needing the extra motivation to actually leave the house because staying at home makes it to easy to skip working out. Our world is different now, just like it was different 150 yrs ago when transportation was by horse or by foot. Time marches on, and so does technology. How we approach life now and then changes too. The great thing is, if someone dislikes it, then you can toss away your smart phone, hell even sell your car.....you have that right. Nobody needs to be a slave to the times, but just be prepared that for any stand you make comes sacrifice and sometimes consequence. Nothing wrong with that, its a righteous way of life
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gallicinvasion wrote: »I think we can all agree that staying active and exercising are very good for your body. But i think this is more about the societal implications of building our lives around labor-saving measures, so much so that we literally have created an industry around expending our energy (in ways that don’t produce any useful product) in order to get our physical fitness back.
Like, when people get exercise by biking to work, or by painting their baby’s room, or by stacking canned foods for the homeless, that labor produces some good! And we always need more of it! Labor spent lifting weights for the individual’s health is also good, but the same could be accomplished if we directed that human energy towards physical labor that helps people.
Now obviously I’m a hypocrite because i don’t expend my energy stacking canned foods for homeless shelters. My armchair-philosophizing only extends to me saving $20 a month by lifting weights at home instead of giving the money to planet fitness CEO’s.
BUT. I’m wondering if others feel similarly! Maybe we can start a movement of “get fit by helping humankind!” all about expensing physical energy doing useful work that improves life for the disadvantaged.
How do you feel about not for profit gyms like the YMCA? I may be paying for my membership...but that money goes into youth programs about wellness and development. They also offer free or discounted memberships to those that cannot afford (which is why my membership is a little more cost wise). I also love that they offer affordable childcare services to help people with young children also have the ability to enable a healthy lifestyle they enjoy. They also provide affordable childcare to many people. It’s been life changing to many of my coworkers supporting young families of 4+ on a teacher salary provide childcare and extracurricular activities for their kids.
I know they are founded on Christianity, but the programming they offer is wellness focus, not religious based. So, I feel better contributing to a gym that is community focused and helping be a part of a system that provides services to my friends and neighbors who can’t afford it. Our local ymca has also provided shower services, gyms services, and toiletry kits to our homeless population too.5 -
my gym membership is cheaper than cardiac by-pass.
my gym membership also provides a wonderful stress release valve, which is cheaper than a bail bond.
I hope the owners of my gym make an insanely high profit so they can keep their doors open and the equipment maintained.
*shrug17 -
"Like, when people get exercise by biking to work, or by painting their baby’s room, or by stacking canned foods for the homeless, that labor produces some good! And we always need more of it! Labor spent lifting weights for the individual’s health is also good, but the same could be accomplished if we directed that human energy towards physical labor that helps people."
Not everyone lives close enough to bike to work. You don't paint rooms everyday, and it is highly unlikely you will have time to volunteer every single day. Unless you have a labor intensive job, I think it's unlikely you would find enough activity in a day to replace intentional exercise. Plus, all those labor-saving measures were also time saving measures. Instead of spending an hour commuting, I can drive there in ten minutes. And now I have an extra 50 minutes at the gym.
I agree with Motorsheen. My gym is a whole lot cheaper than a bypass. It has a social aspect that makes it more enjoyable than sweating alone in my spare room. I don't have a problem with what I pay for a gym.5 -
"Like, when people get exercise by biking to work, or by painting their baby’s room, or by stacking canned foods for the homeless, that labor produces some good! And we always need more of it! Labor spent lifting weights for the individual’s health is also good, but the same could be accomplished if we directed that human energy towards physical labor that helps people."
Not everyone lives close enough to bike to work. You don't paint rooms everyday, and it is highly unlikely you will have time to volunteer every single day. Unless you have a labor intensive job, I think it's unlikely you would find enough activity in a day to replace intentional exercise. Plus, all those labor-saving measures were also time saving measures. Instead of spending an hour commuting, I can drive there in ten minutes. And now I have an extra 50 minutes at the gym.
I agree with Motorsheen. My gym is a whole lot cheaper than a bypass. It has a social aspect that makes it more enjoyable than sweating alone in my spare room. I don't have a problem with what I pay for a gym.
I’ll also add that I enjoy the gym and it offers a lot of gear and equipment that I could never afford, like a sauna and all of the machines. It’s more cost effective for something that I love to go and do, just like someone enjoys paying more to go to a movie in a theatre on a big screen. I also like what some of them classes that come with my membership teach me in new exercises, stretches, and meditation.
I guess I could save up my membership and buy one of those machines in like 3-4 years...but I have no room in my home for it.
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gallicinvasion wrote: »Had an interesting talk with my brother the other day, and he vocalized a lot of the reasons why I feel such hesitation in paying for a gym membership or fitness classes.
He was voicing his amazement that we’ve set up a society that prioritizes labor-saving and being sedentary (the US’s obsession with cars, work mechanization, home-cleaning gadgets, and our addiction-like relationship with smartphones, TV, etc), sometimes at great cost to the consumer. And this lifestyle means we’re far more sedentary. And then we are sold back health and exercise (we pay to perform labor that isn’t producing anything but the muscles we used to have through our day-to-day labors) through gyms and fitness classes. Always at cost to the consumer.
No one to blame but corporations, general capitalism and the hand of the market, but I thought this was fascinating. I do purposeful exercise 3 days a week, 15 min each, at home with a small set of weights, so I’ve paid into it a little bit, and I’m still doing labor that doesn’t produce anything except a tiny bit of muscle on my bones 😂 but at least I’m not paying monthly for it.
Context, although our identities shouldn’t have a bearing on how y’all receive these ideas: my brother has always been an active person in his day to day life, biking to work and for pleasure, hiking on long weekends to explore new places. He works outdoors, as a director for our city’s composting program. I have never been a person who gravitates towards activity, and have struggled with weight since late high school. Recently lost 98 lbs and have found great success in building more activity into my day (parking 15 min away from work, making multiple trips, only taking the stairs and not the escalator, saying yes to more walking tours, days in the city, hiking, etc).
And we’re both pretty anti-capitalist 😂 or at least, we are well aware of the severe problems that our current economic systems create for the disadvantaged.
Anyone else have similar feelings towards paying for the gym?
This reminds me somewhere I read that companies produce shampoos with slightly harsh chemicals in them to dry out the hair/scalp so that they can also then sell you conditioners to replenish the moisture and softness that the shampoo removed
don’t know how true that is though 
I don’t go to the gym only because I tried it and didn’t like it. But if we are talking about saving/spending money on fitness, I am a barefoot runner (trail and pavement) Although I run without shoes for other reasons (mostly because I simply find it fun!) by running this way for almost 6 years now, I have literally saved thousands of dollars on shoes, arch inserts and special socks, etc. Thousands! And another fringe benefit of not buying running shoes is that I then don’t have to create trash by throwing away so many old pairs so less stress on the planet. It’s a win-win for me but I understand it’s not an option for everyone, people have to find what works for them in their individual situation. I am also not a person that gravitates naturally towards activity (was completely sedentary until I was 38) but I still somehow found my passion for trail running. Though my running may not “produce anything” it brings me joy and happiness and helps control my anxiety to levels that I don’t require meds to feel ok and that’s reason enough for me to continue exercising 3 -
I don't mind paying for the gym - I use a locally owned mom and pop gym so it helps local economy not corporate America I guess. And 1 hour maybe hr and a half of my day I think can be mine and doesn’t need to be used for production - I think some me time at the gym is good for my mental health too as others have said. So I don’t mind giving a local business $30/mth ¯\_(ツ)_/¯6
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good pt!I don't mind paying for the gym - I use a locally owned mom and pop gym so it helps local economy not corporate America I guess. And 1 hour maybe hr and a half of my day I think can be mine and doesn’t need to be used for production - I think some me time at the gym is good for my mental health too as others have said. So I don’t mind giving a local business $30/mth ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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RunsWithBees wrote: »gallicinvasion wrote: »Had an interesting talk with my brother the other day, and he vocalized a lot of the reasons why I feel such hesitation in paying for a gym membership or fitness classes.
He was voicing his amazement that we’ve set up a society that prioritizes labor-saving and being sedentary (the US’s obsession with cars, work mechanization, home-cleaning gadgets, and our addiction-like relationship with smartphones, TV, etc), sometimes at great cost to the consumer. And this lifestyle means we’re far more sedentary. And then we are sold back health and exercise (we pay to perform labor that isn’t producing anything but the muscles we used to have through our day-to-day labors) through gyms and fitness classes. Always at cost to the consumer.
No one to blame but corporations, general capitalism and the hand of the market, but I thought this was fascinating. I do purposeful exercise 3 days a week, 15 min each, at home with a small set of weights, so I’ve paid into it a little bit, and I’m still doing labor that doesn’t produce anything except a tiny bit of muscle on my bones 😂 but at least I’m not paying monthly for it.
Context, although our identities shouldn’t have a bearing on how y’all receive these ideas: my brother has always been an active person in his day to day life, biking to work and for pleasure, hiking on long weekends to explore new places. He works outdoors, as a director for our city’s composting program. I have never been a person who gravitates towards activity, and have struggled with weight since late high school. Recently lost 98 lbs and have found great success in building more activity into my day (parking 15 min away from work, making multiple trips, only taking the stairs and not the escalator, saying yes to more walking tours, days in the city, hiking, etc).
And we’re both pretty anti-capitalist 😂 or at least, we are well aware of the severe problems that our current economic systems create for the disadvantaged.
Anyone else have similar feelings towards paying for the gym?
This reminds me somewhere I read that companies produce shampoos with slightly harsh chemicals in them to dry out the hair/scalp so that they can also then sell you conditioners to replenish the moisture and softness that the shampoo removed don’t know how true that is though
I don’t go to the gym only because I tried it and didn’t like it. But if we are talking about saving/spending money on fitness, I am a barefoot runner (trail and pavement) Although I run without shoes for other reasons (mostly because I simply find it fun!) by running this way for almost 6 years now, I have literally saved thousands of dollars on shoes, arch inserts and special socks, etc. Thousands! And another fringe benefit of not buying running shoes is that I then don’t have to create trash by throwing away so many old pairs so less stress on the planet. It’s a win-win for me but I understand it’s not an option for everyone, people have to find what works for them in their individual situation. I am also not a person that gravitates naturally towards activity (was completely sedentary until I was 38) but I still somehow found my passion for trail running. Though my running may not “produce anything” it brings me joy and happiness and helps control my anxiety to levels that I don’t require meds to feel ok and that’s reason enough for me to continue exercising
Nice!
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Often, I find it hard to account for preventative costs, especially in the long run. How many MD visits, ER trips, medication co-payments, etc. are you going to avoid over the course of your lifetime by implementing some form(s) of exercise as a lifestyle habit?
Are you capable of economically acquiring a residency in which you can walk to work & walk to various shopping centers as a means of meeting exercise? Can you acquire a job & function without a phone and/or internet connection in a society in which cell phones & internet are the norms of communication?
Consider the population density, geographic differences, & government of the US vs. say Europe...yes, walking everywhere/not owning a car is quite manageable in many parts of Europe & some major US cities (still a matter of $$$/high cost of living in these areas generally though)3 -
No. I can understand that others have different POVs but I believe in capitalism and enjoy the gym as well as outdoor activity. A gym membership for me is a small investment in health with big payoff.5
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I see the point: It’s silly to drive around the parking lot 5 times to find a spot close to the door and then spend $40 per month for a gym membership. We overconsume and then spend money trying to compensate. All part of a system that is harmful in many ways. I used to feel like it would be lame to go to the gym instead of running or biking. But I was too fat to run or bike comfortably and it’s pretty hard to do either 6 months of the year where I live. Then I got a gym membership for $10 per month at a Planet Fitness that opened close by. I can get a good cardio workout in a short time without destroying my knees. I’ve lost 60+ pounds between working out regularly and eating less. I’m able to enjoy outdoor activities much more now. I hiked every day before I joined the gym and still do, but it’s a lot easier now and I can do a lot more. I also still do weights at home and videos, but none of it works as well alone as when I combine it with a good workout on the cardio equipment at the gym.3
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gallicinvasion wrote: »I think we can all agree that staying active and exercising are very good for your body. But i think this is more about the societal implications of building our lives around labor-saving measures, so much so that we literally have created an industry around expending our energy (in ways that don’t produce any useful product) in order to get our physical fitness back.
Like, when people get exercise by biking to work, or by painting their baby’s room, or by stacking canned foods for the homeless, that labor produces some good! And we always need more of it! Labor spent lifting weights for the individual’s health is also good, but the same could be accomplished if we directed that human energy towards physical labor that helps people.
Now obviously I’m a hypocrite because i don’t expend my energy stacking canned foods for homeless shelters. My armchair-philosophizing only extends to me saving $20 a month by lifting weights at home instead of giving the money to planet fitness CEO’s.
BUT. I’m wondering if others feel similarly! Maybe we can start a movement of “get fit by helping humankind!” all about expensing physical energy doing useful work that improves life for the disadvantaged.
I think this is a very narrow perspective. People go to the gym for many reasons. I'm a former competitive athlete...hitting the weight room was always part of that equation. One of my best friends is a fire fighter and very active...he still hits the weight room because he's a competitive power lifter. I have other friends that hit the weight room because they have certain aesthetic goals...others like myself (though I'm currently not going to the gym) simply want to maintain somewhat of a reasonable physique and maintain muscle mass and bone density as we grow older.
I'm also an avid cycling enthusiast...I'd love to bike commute, but 3x per week I work in an office that is 40+ miles from my home. The other office is closer, but I still have the logistical issue of the fact that when I'm going back and forth I have half of my office, including my computer in a bag...then there's the issue of having to get my kids to school while I still get to work on time..unfortunately, not happening on my bike.
Things like painting or stacking canned foods, etc are activity...those things aren't "exercise"...they aren't a "workout" I used to do landscape construction which is a very physical job...I still hit the weight room a few days per week.
I currently am taking a break from the gym and doing some body weight stuff at home. It's more of a time issue and spending more time with the family than anything right now. But no...I have zero problem paying monthly for a gym. The gym I belonged to and probably will get back to is owned by a couple who are very good friends of ours...I don't mind helping them put food on the table while simultaneously taking care of my fitness...not to mention that coach had me in the best shape of my life when he was training me and I was actually somewhat competitive in my bike racing there for a couple of years...not podium competitive, but more than just a finisher.4 -
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StarWarzzzz wrote: »I'm the best type of member. I pay for the gym and never go.
........ and we thank you for not racking your weights, wiping down the equipment after it's use and not texting in the squat rack.5 -
I go to the gym to get hit on by guys6
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LiftingSpirits wrote: »I go to the gym to get hit on by guys
@LiftingSpirits
..... howz that working out for you ??2 -
I don't go to a corporate gym. I support my local startup gym where the owner's Corvette is always parked out front and he knows everyone's name before they even pull out their membership card. I feel a sense of empowerment seeing my money go directly into his pocket. Vive la résistance training!7
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You'll do it and you'll like it!2
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hm. I see where you are coming from, but also see it's not ideal for everyone for all of those reasons people have already said above.
Personally I LIKE working out with weights. I have some weights at home - I never use them. I just can't motivate myself to do stuff at home. So if I didn't have a gym membership, I'd not have any muscles. The more muscles, the more I can eat. I like to eat, so I want as much muscle as possible to sustain my eating habits LOL!
I go to a university gym, where it's very cheap for staff. It's a no-frills gym with old-skool equipment, but it's great and everyone knows everyone as we get to know each other based on the times we work out.
And i still part far away, or get off the bus a stop (or more) earlier, and take the stairs to my office, and all that stuff. I don't count that as "exercise" though, that to me is just being active and increasing my NEAT so i can eat more.
Common theme there?2 -
🙄tinkerhellraiser wrote: »I don't go to a corporate gym. I support my local startup gym where the owner's Corvette is always parked out front and he knows everyone's name before they even pull out their membership card. I feel a sense of empowerment seeing my money go directly into his pocket. Vive la résistance training!
u cant spell empowerment training without ranting women
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Motorsheen wrote: »LiftingSpirits wrote: »I go to the gym to get hit on by guys
@LiftingSpirits
..... howz that working out for you ??
It works, but they are all old or married 🤷♀️2 -
Well for 65% of the population, they don't pay to go to the gym either and rather just focus their life on just living day to day.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Sounds like one good conversation, I lost 60lbs without a gym membership and can understand those not wanting to spend money.
If you’re determined and motived (for a health change) it won’t take buying a membership to make that happen.
I will say, I ended up paying for a membership to modify my goals and what I’m working for. I don’t mind the fee, I also enjoy classes to be surrounded by likeminded people.3
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