Gyms are a largely a waste of time and money.

The reason why people get overweight, unfit is not going to be solved in a gym.   

People don’t need gyms to lose weight or get fit. 

They need motivation. 

Motivation is individual pursuit. 

You can get a small initial boast from outside influences like a mate, doctor’s report but ultimately it boils down to the drive of the individual.    

Exercise makes you fit not flash gyms with rows of expensive machines you are ultimately paying for. 

Even the ones you don’t use!   

Let’s say Person A decided to spend money on a gym membership and a trainer for the first initial 10 attendances. 

Person B decided to invest in a good pair of running shoes, waterproof jacket, a punch-bag and gloves. He also joins a social indoor soccer team.   

Both want to lose weight. 

Let’s also say the gym is 20 minutes away for our guy A.  

Ultimately the winner in the race to lose weight will be the most motivated. 

But B has a huge advantage.  

His training ground is the pavement outside his house, his garage where the punch bag hangs.  

The outdoors is free. 

You are not covering the gym owners rent.   

B also gets to bond with his soccer mates, target the odd 10K run rather than training ostensibly for nothing. 

In the time it takes A to get to/from the gym B can run/walk for 40 minutes. 

Do a 30 minute intense session on the bag, have a shower before A has even swiped his membership card.   

I can hear people say “I need to get away from the distraction at home” 

People like you are doomed to fail. 

Gyms around the globe survive on ‘churn’ like you.    

Being in the outdoors that exists just outside your letterbox, playing in a park, running in a true gymnasium with a wooden floor is always going to beat the static sterile atmosphere of a gym.  

If the weather is adverse use the punch bag in the garage.

Wind-up the stereo with your favourite music not the middle-of-the-road tripe they pipe through gyms.    

Mix it up a bit. 

If you want to use weights buy a cheap set off e.bay.  

On the weekend go for a long walk, run.  

To me gyms are like own a batch/holiday home. 

Ultimately they are expensive for the time you use them, have debatable usefulness, are expensive and commit you to something that one-day you’ll decide isn’t me.  

For 90% of people that join gyms this ‘it isn’t me’ realisation happens within a few months. 

Gyms are for suckers.