The idea of starting to exercise is exciting. You make it a point to get serious about training, you mentally prepare yourself and join a gym knowing you'll do well and be consistent, but as time goes on it's not as much fun to attend. Is this just a pause in your motivation or is there really a problem?
Paying for a gym membership is just as important as paying for any other service. You must evaluate its quality and measure if you are obtaining the results you expected; If there are glitches or for any reason you are dissatisfied, your performance will decline.
Know 6 signs you should unsubscribe at your gym .
6 signs you should quit your gym
1. Routines are boring
If your workouts are so monotonous and boring that you could fall asleep in the process, you are probably not in the right place. There is a place for everyone in the world, and if this gym, its equipment and its classes make you feel dissatisfied with the usual routines, you should cancel your subscription and change the environment.
NASM certified personal trainer Alexis Craig likens this to being stuck in the '' Hamster Wheel of Exercise '' where the workout routines are identical each week, with no variation in weight, speed, incline and format. On the other hand, Tony Carvajal, certified CrossFit trainer with RSP Nutrition, agrees: "You must be stimulated mentally and physically, as boredom can lead to complacency."
2. You don't like to attend
Gym memberships have a lot in common with romantic relationships. When you start dating someone you are anxious, nervous and excited, but after a while, that feeling of newness and freshness wears off and you start to see the flaws in the relationship. In the end you end up realizing that it is not you, but the other.
People see gyms as a '' third space ''. You are neither at home nor at work, so it is extremely important to enjoy the time you spend there. In fact, in the long run, the way you feel in the gym influences the hours you spend in it, and the latter in your quality of life.
Go to a place where you can train without pressure, that makes you feel good and you can afford to select it thinking only of your well-being.
3. You are not seeing results
You should start to see results at least a month after joining the gym. At 3 months, the results should be more noticeable.
Lack of progress (no matter what your goals are) indicates that something is not being done well, and feeling stuck prevents enthusiasm on your part. In this sense, there is the possibility that the gym you are in, and the programs it offers, are not suitable for you.
Not all people are built the same or react in the same way to the different styles of training that exist. If you are not seeing progress, start thinking of a way forward and try something different.
4. The gym culture is not correct
The environment of the gym you have joined is crucial to your success. It's not about the most sought-after facilities, teams or coaches, but about the environment that its members create.
If you don't feel comfortable with your coaches and teammates, consider unsubscribing. On many occasions the more experienced members judge the newer ones, creating a toxic environment that you understandably do not wish to return to. You can also be constantly comparing yourself to others without taking into account that everyone has different goals and abilities.
If you spend more time looking at others than training, reconsider changing gym.
5. The care is not adequate
Members of a gym generally have expectations of what they get for the money they pay. Among those are quality equipment, clean and safe facilities, a comprehensive roster of engaging classes, and well-trained, certified personal trainers who not only pressure you to pay, they pressure you to perform and meet goals.
These three are red flags for changing gyms:
- You never see coaches exercising and they don't take their own health seriously. You can't expect a coach to take responsibility for doing everything they can or help you reach your goals if they don't take their own fitness seriously.
- If the coaches do not have the skills and knowledge necessary to help others. "Don't be ashamed to ask your coach what certifications or education he has," says Carvajal.
- If your fitness coach doesn't reflect a positive mindset and never motivates you. A coach should be a natural leader, someone you respect and can come to admire. "If your coach doesn't take things seriously or always thinks it's all a joke, it's a bad sign," Carvajal said.
6. The facilities and equipment are in poor condition
When you sign the membership contract, not only do you commit to the gym, but the place must also commit to you.
“As a member, your monthly payment should go to gym upgrades: new equipment, new classes, maintenance and cleaning of things… all of these should always be a standard in any professional training facility” –Menciona Carvajal.
When gym owners don't invest in their equipment, they don't invest in their members. To know this, you just have to carefully observe your training place. If you've been there for some time and you notice that no new equipment has been added or what is there is rusty and in poor condition, the owners do not care about the place or you.
conclusion
Regardless of how motivated you may be, the gym you have chosen plays a key role in your success in this area. If it is a toxic place, it does not have the appropriate conditions and its workers are not trained, you will lose all interest in going to the gym.
References
Osnato, J. 7 Signs It's Time to Break Up With Your GYM. For Livestrong [Revised February 2019].
