To The Gym!

For the past year and a half or so, going to the gym has been a fairly staple part of my routine. Sure, some weeks I may end up there 4 times and others I may skip going altogether, but it's something I at least think about doing every week. For a bit of background, I'm useless at every sport ever invented and until I started going to the gym, I did no exercise whatsoever so it's been quite important for me to focus on it, as I like to stay in fairly good shape!

Before I went to uni, I was going to a gym in the town where I went to school with a guy that I was dating at the time, and I absolutely loved it. I couldn't imagine how anyone could ever not love going to the gym and would go as often as I could. But then this guy and I split up and then the gym was renovated around the same time and when it finally reopened, I hated it. I carried on dragging myself there about once a week because I was paying for it and it was good for me, but ultimately I just wasn't happy there so I decided to quit.

When I moved to uni I was so excited to join a new gym and get back into going, especially since there are so many people on my course and in my building who are really enthusiastic about going to the gym - more so the girls than the boys! But again, ultimately I just wasn't happy there but I had paid upfront for 3 months so I dragged myself along whenever I was up early on a Sunday morning and needed something to do. Sure, there was a lot of equipment and the walk there gave me a good opportunity to call my mum and have a catch up, but it just didn't feel quite right.

By that point, I was starting to feel quite silly and decided that the problem must have been with me rather than with these gyms I was going to, but then I joined a new one when I came home (after many a jokey comment from my family regarding the 10384050 lbs I put on at uni...) and instantly felt that connection with a gym again. I started trying new things and actually varying my routines, rather than just sticking to the same 4 machines. It really revived my workouts and I feel so much better for having made the change.

It sounds so silly but I do believe it's one of those things where you have to find a gym that's right for you. I'm busy with work most nights a week but I still try and find time wherever possible to go to the gym - what's even better is that it's a 24/7 one so I can go whenever I want! One weekend, I ended up in there between 11pm and 2am, just because I couldn't sleep and why not? 

It's a chain of gyms as well so for me, the best part is knowing that there is a gym close to where I live at uni as well so hopefully I'll have that same feeling of comfort when I go back to uni and it means I can go to the gym 24/7, all year round.

I think the message that I'm trying to get across here is that if you did the typical January thing where you joined a gym but now you're getting to the point where you just hate it and can't bear going anymore - why not try somewhere new? That might just not be 'the one' for you!