Back to the gym

[tmitchell]

I got pretty used to working out at home during the pandemic, but lately I’ve been feeling the need for some better equipment and to get out of the apartment more often.

I decided to rejoin a gym. It’s a ten minute drive each way (which I’m not crazy about) or a 45 minute, fairly unpleasant walk. Month to month, $30with first month free. Parking is $2, so add another $25-30/mo to that.

It’s definitely dirtier than my home, but not too crowded weekday mornings. The crowd is…interesting? Equipment is pretty good.

I feel a bit mixed on this decision. How are the rest of you faring these days on the workout plan?

 

[euro]

I have not gone back yet, but my PCP suggested that I consider it. I'm particularly bad at strength training at home and I'm sure I would do better at the gym. I might go back but masking up while there as a compromise.

 

[Ronstar]

I work out at home, but hardly ever in the summer . I have a treadmill, Bowflex adjustable dumbbells up to 52.5 lbs each, and a bench.

So my weight exercises are very limited - just doing curls, tris, high pulls, rows, overhead press and incline press all with dumbbells.

Used to run, but I quit running due to knee, hip, feet and back issues. So I only walk on the treadmill and only in winter.

I hike year round and ride my ebike occasionally.

Right now I'm in the midst of a weight loss challenge with DW, so I'm starting up my weight program soon and escalating hiking and biking. No plans to join a gym.

 

[W2R]

We are in the process of re-joining our gym, too. It's been a few years.

 

[athena53]

I'm not sure when or if I'll go back. Plenty of good video workouts for free on YouTube and I have some other good alternatives at home- a walking/biking path on the former Rock Island RR line right outside my neighborhood, a bike in the garage and a treadmill downstairs. When the weather is temperate I may walk to/from the Post Office.

I know some people like the better selection of equipment and a little cameraderie but I learned to like days when I just don't use the car at all.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Add me to the about to rejoin the gym group. I miss doing resistance workouts but I have been able to keep up on my daily walks around the neighborhood. With summer coming I would like to have the ability to walk in a cooler environment. OTOH, the neighborhood walks are free although I have to jump out of the way of inattentive drivers at times.

 

[COcheesehead]

Not back to the gym, but addicted to bettering my health stats on my Apple Watch. I track my VO2 max, a measure of cardio fitness, resting heart rate, cardio recovery, exercise minutes and a few others things. It really helps to see trends. I hurt my knee earlier this year and couldn’t ride or hike much and the numbers looked bad. Now I am back at it and doing harder, longer rides and hikes. I just hit a new one year VO2 max high.

 

[Eastbayboy]

I just joined 24 Hour Fitness about a 10 minute drive. I have Sneakers which is paid by Blue Shield of California. [emoji1360]. I never tried a gym since I do work out on a weight bench and bike ride at my house. Since no cost to me… why not. I have always been covid adverse but it seems to be less of an obstacle today. My body is stiffening up so “Use it or lose it “. [emoji43]*[emoji94]

 

[lucky penny]

I have not gone back yet, but my PCP suggested that I consider it. I'm particularly bad at strength training at home and I'm sure I would do better at the gym. I might go back but masking up while there as a compromise.

Likewise.

Very timely discussion. I started going to a gym when I retired in the fall of 2019 & got into some classes I liked, had a trainer who set me up with a simple workout on some machines, & had a nice routine I enjoyed 3 to 5 times a week. (In addition I walked regularly, & still do, every day.) Since I paid for a year's membership, I got a nice discount. Six months later covid arrived & everything closed. The non-profit gym said that instead of issuing refunds, memberships could be frozen, so I agreed to that. When it reopened I wasn't ready to go back, & the gym implied that I could return when I felt ready. Time passed & I saw people returning (it's a 5-minute walk from my home). Last year I thought about it again, called & spoke to an underling who sounded dubious about unfreezing my membership at this late date & said I needed ro speak to a higher-up, but then I wasn't sure if I really wanted to return.

But now, I think I do. I have videos & hand weights at home that I used long ago & could resurrect, but I liked that routine & accountability at the gym. I will call on Monday & tell them I'm ready to resume my membership for the 6 months I've already paid for.

 

[Trailwalker]

I’ve always preferred my exercise outdoors. I hike, process firewood, play pickleball and putter around my three acres. I joined a gym when my kids were young but didn’t enjoy it. This week, I’ve taken down a small outbuilding and hauled it all away. I’m exhausted in a good way..

 

[WhenIsItTime]

Nothing better than regular resistance training. During Covid, finished my simple setup at home. Bench. Dumbbells. Norditrack bike. Resistance bands with hooks on wall. TV. I'm very happy working out in comfort of my own home. No commute. Never wait for a machine. All the germs are mine. I've worked out long enough that I hate the feeling I get after 4 days of not lifting weights, so I stay regular.

 

[friar1610]

Stopped going to the gym 3+ years ago but have been faithful about working out at home (5-6 days per week most weeks). Rower, old Nordic Track, weight bench/dumbbells, walking with the dog, subscription to on-line video workouts (some of which are real butt-kickers). The only thing I really miss from the gym is spinning classes. They’re earlier in the AM than they were pre-COVID and I haven’t been motivated to get up that early so will likely stick with my current regimen for now.

 

[MBAustin]

I joined a gym for the first time in mid- 2019 and really enjoyed going 2-3 times a week. Since pandemic, it’s been hard to get back into a routine, partly because I find that even once every week or so is enough to maintain weight and reps (which is my goal at this point). It’s only $11/month so I don’t really feel bad if I only go occasionally.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Went back to the gym the day it reopened in 2020.

$50 a year, LA Fitness.

 

[Koolau]

Since both of our gyms closed forever, we've not tried to find another. Both of our health situations (primarily arthritis) have pretty much doomed us to walking with canes so serious exercise on serious machines is probably not appropriate now. Kinda sad. We were just getting "into" it when Covid hit. Amazing what 3 years can do to a body. I'm sure the more sedentary life style did not help anything.

 

[mystang52]

I have a small gym set-up in my basement that I use 3-4 times/week. To OP, it sounds like you're not thrilled with the overall ambiance of the gym you go to. If it were me, I'd find another gym.

 

[Koolau]

I have a small gym set-up in my basement that I use 3-4 times/week. To OP, it sounds like you're not thrilled with the overall ambiance of the gym you go to. If it were me, I'd find another gym.

Have that many gyms come back after Covid? I don't recall all the gym ads on TV and radio (that used to be ubiquitous) coming back here of late.

 

[DallasGuy]

I have been going to LA Fitness for the past 5-6 years. I had originally signed up for a 3 yr deal so my monthly dues were about $17-18 per month, for as long as I have the membership. Then when I started on medicare, I signed up for AARP United Healthcare Medicare Part G insurance coverage and that included a free health club membership. I was surprised because before I started medicare I had read that those types of benefits were mostly included only in medicare Advanage plans. Anyway, I'm enjoying me free health club membership for as long as it lasts.

I go to the club every other day to do weights (machines) and treadmill. I believe that as we age, it's important to do some sort of strength training in order to keep bones and muscles from deteriorating. I wore a mask in the club up until about 3-4 months ago and since I'm fully vaccinated I feel it's ok to go without a mask now.

 

[Alan]

We haven’t gone back to the gym after Covid and probably never will. We signed up with Les Mills streaming services and do many of their classes at home each week including weight training with free weights, and body balance sessions (yoga, tai chi and Pilates)

Before retiring we used to do these types of videos and exercises at home including treadmills and free weights then joined gyms after retiring when we had more time on our hands. Where we live gives us loads of access to strenuous walks in the woods, moors and sea cliffs, and the weather is never too hot or too cold for getting in aerobic exercise so no need for treadmills, stationary bikes etc.

 

[Healthy Lifestyle]

FYI. Guard your possessions closely, as I had my wallet stolen out of a locked locker at Esporta Fitness Center.
Apparently my lock was cut and my wallet stolen.
I was told by the policeman that this is a common problem in fitness centers.

 

[Out of Steam]

My wife and I returned to the gym after the first year of the pandemic, trying to stick with quiet times and parts of the building. Though we stopped during high-risk times in the winter until the past year.

 

[pacergal]

We have a small fitness gym very close by, open 24 hours, free via our medicare.
We signed up and try to find times when there are few people there. When we first went, many would still mask up, but no one does. We go less often, and only if there are less than 5 others there. I just don't like to be in crowded places. I am about to start going at midnight!
Durning the summer, we can walk the neighborhood, but winter is the time we like to use the equipment.

 

[jollystomper]

We returned to our gym (local, independent, not part of a chain) as soon as they reopened during the pandemic. They installed special air filtration systems so we were comfortable with going back. The place is big enough so that even during busy times it never felt crowded, and during the times we normally go (mid day) there is plenty of space and separation.

We signed up as charter members over 20 years ago, when they were justi starting and before they built and expanded their current building. Our rates will never be raised, and our kids will also be members as long as we are, even though they are no longer part of our household.

 

[GoodWishes]

DH and I always like to exercise outdoor. But we did go to the gym for the weight machines once a week before the pandemic. During the pandemic, we started doing resistance bands at home with videos. Now we are back to outdoor pickleball, hiking, etc. We have a hard time even fitting in the resistance bands with all the outdoor activities so no gym for us.

 

[evan78]

I got pretty used to working out at home during the pandemic, but lately I’ve been feeling the need for some better equipment and to get out of the apartment more often.

I decided to rejoin a gym. It’s a ten minute drive each way (which I’m not crazy about) or a 45 minute, fairly unpleasant walk. Month to month, $30with first month free. Parking is $2, so add another $25-30/mo to that.

It’s definitely dirtier than my home, but not too crowded weekday mornings. The crowd is…interesting? Equipment is pretty good.

I feel a bit mixed on this decision. How are the rest of you faring these days on the workout plan?

I'm making some serious progress with my workouts! The effort I'm putting in at the gym is really paying off. I'm pushing myself to new limits and seeing noticeable improvements in strength and energy levels. Staying consistent and committed is key.