How many people join a gym in January, go a few times, and never go back? It has happened to me–but not this time! We are in Week 29 of our gym membership at Max Fitness, and have been very dedicated to our 4-day routine. How did we do it? Let us share our eight steps to successful gym membership.
Step 1
Having an exercise partner who makes you accountable is extremely important. Don’t just say to your partner, “Call me if you want to go to the gym.” Instead, say, “Call me if you are NOT going to the gym, and you’d better have a dang good reason!!”
Step 2
Choose the right gym. Do your research. I must have structured classes, and Aron needs a variety of machines to work out on independently. Max Fitness has the best variety of both that we could find. I started out doing Silver Sneakers classes while Aron lifted weights and walked on the treadmill. I graduated to Total Body Conditioning three days a week, and a Barre class on Friday. Aron has upped his weights and is now running on the treadmill. He is planning to run a 5K once a week.
Step 3
Make sure the location is convenient. We can get to Max Fitness in less than 20 minutes. There are actually some gyms closer, but they didn’t have the variety we needed. Our gym is also close to a giant Kroger store, and since we buy groceries two or three times a week, that makes it even more convenient for us to get that errand done at the same time.
Step 4
Make sure the class times work best for you. Silver Sneakers classes were at 11:30, which made it hard to work our days around them. Aron spends a lot of time on his hobbies in his garage getting greasy and dirty, which he didn’t feel like doing before going to the gym, so we felt that classes in the middle of the day weren’t a good fit. After I had mastered Silver Sneakers, I looked for classes that were a bit more challenging, and found Total Body Conditioning that runs at 8:15 some days, and 9:15 others. Getting home from the gym earlier made it easier to plan the rest of our day.
Step 5
Take regular days off. We like to take a day off in the middle of the week, and we don’t go to the gym on week-ends. It’s a treat to wake up on those days off and know we don’t have to go anywhere.
Step 6
Treat it like a job. We both have a pretty good work ethic, so once we committed to our routine, we “go to work” on our “work days”. Since we are both retired, this actually adds some welcome structure to our lives.
Step 7
Make friends. Once you attend a couple of classes, you will begin to recognize the “regulars”—and hopefully you will become one yourself! They will become people you smile at, laugh with, and strike up conversations with. You will all cheer each other on.
Step 8
Relish the results. After 29 weeks, we both feel healthier and stronger. Our resting heart rates are much lower than when we started. Aron can get up from his creeper in the garage in a single bound! It’s the little things I notice, like how much easier it is to get in and out of the car. We have more stamina. We haven’t lost as much weight as we would like, but our body composition has changed drastically. Aron has his broad shoulders back, and a lot of things that used to sag on me are perking up–and muscle DOES weigh more than fat!