Do you really need the gym to achieve to your goal?

I enjoy my walks with my co-workers outside for lunch, but...for me, the gym may be a necessary evil. I agree that we should enjoy life, but I live in Florida, and it's constantly either raining or humid here. I have arthritis, so humidity makes me hurt. Also, for me, when I have to go by myself I feel safer being in a gym, then outdoors by myself in the dark (morning/evening times again).

The gym also offers weight machines that I don't have access too, though I'm sure I can do all those exercises some how at home, it's more convient to go somewhere that has it all set up already.

That being said, I still wouldn't give up my 30 minute walks around the lake by my office with my co-worker. They're relaxing.

I have just posted this up on my blog and thought it would probably make a better topic, I'm sure it will stir up some friendly banter as many people will have different views! Here we go!!

Do you really need the gym to achieve to your goal?
Yes I have asked myself the question and NO I don't need the bloody gym. Why? Because it's crap that's why! It's the dullest, ugliest waste of space I have ever seen, well apart from a few ex boyfriends! ;-)

Unless you want to look like Johnny Bravo then why bother? Why would I want to pay money to do something I hate? I have enough chores at home! I don't want to stroll down to the local gym on my days off work, feeling worse than what I do when I'm going to work and pay for the privilege!

Just be active and live life! Go for a nice walk in the park or swimming with the kids! Drive over to your nearest seaside and swim in the sea. Go play sports games with your friends and go hiking with a picnic at national parks. Ride your bike to the city and have lots of sex with the person you love and just be happy!

Lets face it, I'm fat because I get cabs instead of the bus, I get the bus instead of walking and I eat takeaways more often than not because I finish late from work and I can't be arsed cooking! The reasons above are why I'm fat, it's not because I don't go to the gym, it's because I'm not active! The gym is for people who want to keep fit, not get fit! That's why they keep going back because that's what they like to do it's a hobby! Let's not kid ourselves here ladies and gentlement if I liked to go to the gym and bust my gut I wouldn't be squeezing into size 18 jeans I'd be on the cat walk next to Naomi Campbell! That's just it we all wouldn't be fat if we actually loved going to the gym because we'd be there flexing our muscles to the opposite sex instead of pretending we like it!

I had an amazing walk with my best friend today, we talked about life, love and our futures, it was great! We walked 9 miles and even more amazingly I burnt over 1000 calories! We walked to a small town outside of the city, found a local pub and had a diet coke and then walked back, it was great and I can't wait until tomorrow and we can do it all over again! I'll reach my weight loss goal enjoying my life thanks not killing my spirit in the process, ack!

That is all /takes a bow ;-)

the op assumes alot.

1) that people have the time to go hiking walking with friend etc
2) that people don't do this already & also go to the gym
3) that they live in an area with the environment available to walk alone or go hiking, climbing
4) that everyone is able to & has friends available to drop everything & go walk for hours on end.
5) that everyone is free of responsibility to be able to spend hours walking/chatting with friends whilst out exercising in nature rather than "showing off" at the gym

I personally use the gym becuase I don't feel I push myself enough doing dvds at home & sadly, unlike the lucky op, don't have numerous hours to get such great exercise in nature.

I use the gym as I can go once I'm in from work, put my son to bed & dealt with the things that need doing for next day before heading off the the gym at 8.30pm. At the weekend I take my son to a kids active classes at my gym to give me an hour after cleaning & laundry & before food shopping & various other activities/jobs/chores that need doing to compliment my calorie controlled diet. And yes, there is results from using the gym, as there would be with any form of exercise, mine if mostly about toning & cardio. Other people like to build muscle.

Exercise, as it should be, is entirely up to the individual why & how they do it. And not the place of others to be snide about it.

1) that people have the time to go hiking walking with friend etc
(who needs "time" to go walking etc? It takes no longer than going to the gym- less even as your workout starts from when you leave the house!)
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The op was making it out that she spends hours out in nature, many of us do not have hours & a gym offers an efficient way to get a workout in. 1hr walking does not have the same effect as 1 hr at the gym, at the gym in 1hr I can burn over 1000 calories & incorporate weight training, resistance & cardio. walking for 1 hr will give me a low level of cardio with around 400 calories burned & nothing else. _________________________________________________________________________________________
2) that people don't do this already & also go to the gym
(No assumption made that people can't do both)

___________________________________________________________________________________________yes, there was, otherwise why ask why people go to the gym & goon about how only going for walks & hikes is much better?
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3) that they live in an area with the environment available to walk alone or go hiking, climbing
(All environments are suitable for walking. Walking around the housing estate I live on is exercise the same as walking through fields)
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Yawn. Good for you that you feel safe enough to walk around but It isn't very safe for a woman to walk alone in my area late at night, which is the only time after work that I have. I would rather go to the gym, be safe, get a good workout in & not potentially get mugged, raped, stabbed or even killed. But clearly you know best!
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4) that everyone is able to & has friends available to drop everything & go walk for hours on end.
(You don't need to walk with friends! It's the classic excuse of not doing exercise as they don't have anyone to do it with. Stick a podcast on and enjoy your own company. Walking for hours on end? Where has this idea come from? An hour in a Gym or an hour walking is the same hour!)
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See above about walking alone late at night. but the op mentioned getting together with friends & walking for hours & hours enjoying nature. My friends all work, have small kids & the last thing they would want to do is go walking at 9 or 10pm cause they are usually asleep from a busy day, not an excuse just a FACT. But if it makes you feel better to think these people you do not know are making excuses, then go ahead.
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5) that everyone is free of responsibility to be able to spend hours walking/chatting with friends whilst out exercising in nature rather than "showing off" at the gym
(You can still have responsibility and choose to walk (with or without friends) with children (buggies, papouse, carrying them, them walking with you. You can walk at lunchtime if you have a busy job, during your breaks, sometimes to and from work.....)
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gawd, this is exhausting. read my prior answers as to safety & efficiency. But why would I drag my kid out at 9 or 10pm to go walking in a dangerous environment? To suit YOUR view on what people should or shouldn't do for exercise? I would much rather go to the gym after he is tucked up in bed & do an efficient workout in a safe environment that fits into my schedule & works so much better for my life.
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I think the point was that gyms aren't for anyone. It seems that people are too good at making excuses not to exercise and some people feel like a Gym in the answer. When you think about it, the gym isn't really the aswer!