How to survive the January gym-pocalypse
The George Nelson Fieldhouse in January is mile one of a marathon.
The place is so packed, it’s virtually impossible to walk to the water fountain without accidentally bumping into one of the 500 New Year’s resolutioners.
Hordes of students have committed themselves to getting to the gym more, even if that means doing crunches in the tight space between the treadmills because the ab mat is packed to capacity.
It’s sort of inspiring to see so many students determined to reach their fitness goals, until the month of February when everything goes back to normal. As nice as it is to work out in an empty gym, it’s still sad to see that happen.
Sure, the crowd is an annoyance to gym regulars and those who work out in part just to get away from people. But that’s no reason to hope and pray for fellow students to give up just yet. To those who find exercise time already slipping down on their priority list, I ask you to bear the following in mind.
Your gym membership isn’t free.
This is a matter of perspective. It’s easy to miss a day or two (or three) at the gym when you figure the fieldhouse costs you nothing more than a student ID card.
In actuality, your gym membership costs you a few thousand bucks. Just like your “free” seat at basketball games, you pay for it with your tuition and student fees. That means your little yellow chair in the Spectrum is really a thousand-dollar seat, and your gym access is actually a thousand-dollar membership.
Of course you should take days to rest now and then, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can skip the gym anytime because it doesn’t cost you anything. This is a university; it already cost you 10 years of student loan debt. Make the most of it.
Exercise isn’t supposed to be awful.
Most people give up on working out because they see it as a job that pays in nothing but sweat and soreness. Sooner or later, this outlook will make a person realize how tough it is to show up to work when the job is optional. Don’t look at exercising as mandatory after-school practice; see it instead as recess.
The easiest way to keep going back to the gym is to look forward to it. It’s a way to clear your head after a long day of classes, a chance to plug in headphones and jam for an hour without worrying about the rest of your to-do list. Instead of dreading your pending workout, savor your time spent bettering yourself.
Other people don’t care what you’re doing.
Working out in front of other students is intimidating, until the day you finally accept the fact that nobody really cares what others are doing at the gym.
Unless you happen to eat it on a treadmill or drop something heavy on yourself, your classmates aren’t going to judge you. People generally try to keep to themselves and focus on their own routine. If you get to the gym consistently enough, you’ll start recognizing the regulars that are there all the time, which means you’re becoming one of those regulars yourself.
It’s fine to feel a bit insecure at the gym, but don’t let it be a reason not to go. There’s still a week left in January and already the ranks are thinning. People are dropping out of the marathon before the first mile-marker. Don’t be one of those people. Keep at it, and come March you’ll feel awesome when you notice everyone rushing back to the fieldhouse to get in shape the week before Spring Break.
—Logan Jones is a junior majoring in journalism. He’s been looking forward to the Russell Wilson vs. Tom Brady bowl for a few months now. Contact him at logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu or @Logantj. Go Seahawks.