Gym help!

cobalt108
cobalt108 Posts: 60 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This is the third day in a row I have missed the gym due to overcrowding and not being able to find a parking spot. It’s so bad that I’ve seen a few cars parked illegally/doubled. There have been times in the past where I was lucky to get a spot and still had to wait a long time to use a machine etc.
I have a busy schedule and am really trying to carve out gym time, but that means I usually only have a specific time window I’m able to go. It is very cold and has been extremely windy here so walking/running outside isn’t possible right now.
I’ve considered using a different gym, but my health insurance discounts this one and it is right down the road from me. Other gyms in my area cost more and are much farther away and the travel time would cut more into my limited workout time.
I have tried to go late at night when the crowd thins out, but I am tired/slower then and don’t think I get a good workout, also itbkind of wakes me up and I dont sleep well after which caused me to have trouble being up super early the next day.
Sorry for all the complaining, was just actually really looking forward to getting on the elliptical today and feel very discouraged. I am starting to feel really stressed about this and wondering if anyone has a similar experience and if you found a realistic work around?

Replies

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,925 Member
    What does 'road down from me' mean with regards to distance, and what is cold? If it's just 1km I would still walk there from home to be honest.
  • cobalt108
    cobalt108 Posts: 60 Member
    I would brace the cold to walk there unless it’s in the teens, but not the wind. It’s really intense lately. Usually if the parking lot is packed then the gym is also overcrowded and I won’t be able to get a machine even if I walked. I can wait a little while, but I only have a limited window to workout/get home/shower and get back to my day and last time I spent most of my work out just waiting.
    Thanks for reading:)
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    If you are going at a peak time for the gym maybe you need to do some at-home video workouts until the warmer weather comes. There are a lot of them on YouTube. You can also buy a fairly inexpensive elliptical if that's your main machine. Some of them fold up and are pretty small for storing in tight spaces.
  • cobalt108
    cobalt108 Posts: 60 Member
    Thanks, I did do some yoga to de-stress when I got home and will look into the work out videos. I think that’s a good back up plan so I at least get some activity. In the past many of them (even the beginner) seemed a little advanced for me or used a lot of equipment I don’t have, so I stopped looking. Any you can recommend?
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Amy Bento Ross and The Firm on dailymotion.com
    Popsugar and exerciseTV
    Leslie Sansone(walk away the pounds)
    Yvette Bachman
    Caroline Jordan
  • fdlewenstein
    fdlewenstein Posts: 231 Member
    I ditched the gym for other alternatives. I work one-to-one with a personal trainer and I joined a pilates club. I enjoy the smaller work out environments and more personal attention. I also like that I have a little variety built in and I can work well around my schedule. In March, I'm trying something new to possibly add to my routine. Is this an option for you?
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,374 Member
    It’s a little late in the year, but you may find that the crowd dies down in a few weeks, as the last trickle of New Years resolutioners dies off, and their introductory packages end. Our yoga studio has been packed out and turning people away the last two months, which is unusual.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    A couple years ago I belonged to a small-ish gym and in January it got so busy that I had to stop going. I just wasn't willing to wait around like that. It was so busy I couldn't even get a treadmill. People were standing around waiting for equipment. I don't have time for that. So I just did some workouts at home in the meantime while the crowds died down.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    It’s a little late in the year, but you may find that the crowd dies down in a few weeks, as the last trickle of New Years resolutioners dies off, and their introductory packages end. Our yoga studio has been packed out and turning people away the last two months, which is unusual.

    If that doesn't do it, maybe COVID 19 will. :neutral:


  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    cobalt108 wrote: »
    This is the third day in a row I have missed the gym due to overcrowding and not being able to find a parking spot. It’s so bad that I’ve seen a few cars parked illegally/doubled. There have been times in the past where I was lucky to get a spot and still had to wait a long time to use a machine etc.
    I have a busy schedule and am really trying to carve out gym time, but that means I usually only have a specific time window I’m able to go. It is very cold and has been extremely windy here so walking/running outside isn’t possible right now.
    I’ve considered using a different gym, but my health insurance discounts this one and it is right down the road from me. Other gyms in my area cost more and are much farther away and the travel time would cut more into my limited workout time.
    I have tried to go late at night when the crowd thins out, but I am tired/slower then and don’t think I get a good workout, also itbkind of wakes me up and I dont sleep well after which caused me to have trouble being up super early the next day.
    Sorry for all the complaining, was just actually really looking forward to getting on the elliptical today and feel very discouraged. I am starting to feel really stressed about this and wondering if anyone has a similar experience and if you found a realistic work around?

    It'll probably start dying down...January and February are typically the busiest and then you start to see the new year's crowd start to trickle down. We're already seeing a bit of this at my gym. At the start of the year you had to get there a half hour before a spin class started just to check in and get a bike and the classes were full. I'm noticing now that many classes end up having a few open bikes.

    Sunday is also a prime time gym day for me to get in and lift...it seems many people take Sunday off...it's usually pretty empty and I never have a problem getting a power rack. Wednesdays I also lift...I get off work at 3:30 on Wednesdays, so I can get there before the after work crowd. My gym is also slower on Thursdays and Fridays.
  • slade51
    slade51 Posts: 188 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »

    Sunday is also a prime time gym day for me to get in and lift...it seems many people take Sunday off...it's usually pretty empty and I never have a problem getting a power rack. Wednesdays I also lift...I get off work at 3:30 on Wednesdays, so I can get there before the after work crowd. My gym is also slower on Thursdays and Fridays.

    A trainer at my gym said a general rule is that Mon-Wed-Fri are more crowded than other days. You might find the same.
  • Ihatehavingfatchops
    Ihatehavingfatchops Posts: 6 Member
    No matter how crowded it gets you can always ask the person using the machine if they wouldnt mind you joining in i have same trouble thing is ppl ask me if can join in so i started doing same usual ppl are friendly and it all works out fine
  • katarina005
    katarina005 Posts: 259 Member
    I just joined planet fitness as a cheap option, and I do beachbody which is great for people crunched for time. It's hard for me to exercise first thing, find a time that's good for you even if its your lunch hour. You've just got to ditch the excuses and do it. Agree with others about home options..and you can buy a jump rope at the dollar store or tapes there too!
  • katarina005
    katarina005 Posts: 259 Member
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    Amy Bento Ross and The Firm on dailymotion.com
    Popsugar and exerciseTV
    Leslie Sansone(walk away the pounds)
    Yvette Bachman
    Caroline Jordan

    All good suggestions. I also like XHIT
  • katarina005
    katarina005 Posts: 259 Member
    cobalt108 wrote: »
    I would brace the cold to walk there unless it’s in the teens, but not the wind. It’s really intense lately. Usually if the parking lot is packed then the gym is also overcrowded and I won’t be able to get a machine even if I walked. I can wait a little while, but I only have a limited window to workout/get home/shower and get back to my day and last time I spent most of my work out just waiting.
    Thanks for reading:)

    It is windy where I am too, but I started taking a bike when it's a safe option. Get exercise in and save gas. Or, go run in morning before coffee and just deal with the cold. Better than it being too hot at least.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,281 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    springlering62 wrote: »
    It’s a little late in the year, but you may find that the crowd dies down in a few weeks, as the last trickle of New Years resolutioners dies off, and their introductory packages end. Our yoga studio has been packed out and turning people away the last two months, which is unusual.

    If that doesn't do it, maybe COVID 19 will. :neutral:


    My gym is empty these days. It's at a community center where a lot of older folks work out. I had seen a steep drop from resolutioners about three weeks ago. Now, it's a ghost town. Those who are there are wiping machines down before and after using them too.

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