To cancel my gym membership?

[serenshiningstar]

I hardly ever go so this should not be an issue.

Except it means I will do NO exercise as opposed to the small amount I do now!

Aibu to cancel!?

Well then do something that you do enjoy. Sod the exercise, take the stairs rather than elevator; park a bit further from the shops; walk more rather than using a car; go for a hike with friends at the weekend etc. Good luck. No point in joining a gym just to ease your conscience though.

Can you do a pay as you go gym?

I'd never go, ever, with PAYG!

can you get an exercise buddy? Someone you take turns picking up etc. You're less likely to let someone else down!

I bought an exercise bike, reduced in price on Amazon. (There are some terrific bargains there.)

I'd done the sums and worked out that a year's subscription to the local council facility would cost far more unless I was a mad swimmer - and I hate water so would only have been using their exercise machines. Now, every weekday, I do my miles: in the morning as it happens but it could be any time of day and the machine is still working fine after a year and a half.

I'd recommend that approach if you have the funds for the one-off outlay and some room in the house.

How often do you actually go and how much energy do you expend when you do go?

If less than once a week and/or very little energy
Then I'd say you're getting no benefit from the gym and the membership is a waste of money

Does the gym do classes?

It helps me if instead of going, "i will go to the gym... later... maybe Thursday. Or possibly Friday" I can say, "I am going to Boxercise on Wednesday at 8"

Definitely less than once a week! unfortunately I know an exercise bike would end up in the shed ... there's exercise DVDs in the house I never use.

No one I could really drag along to the gym unfortunately. I've tried signing up for classes but always end up with some reason why I can't go!

C-2-5k honestly! You start with running for just 1 minute and within 6 weeks you will be running for 20 minutes. I cried when I first did it -when I started I was panicking at the prospect of attempting to run for 1 minute! It's amazing. The good programmes tell you everything about how to control your breathing (as you are doing it). They are everything school cross-country lessons should have been but weren't because they were an excuse for the PE teacher to put her feet up with a cuppa

Seriously cancel - I would feel guilty about wasting this money. It would be better going to charity.

Haha run for 20 minutes? Trust me, wont happen. Even as a kid I couldn't run for long. My mum was the same.

Nearly everyone could run. Most just start off too fast and with too high expectations of how far they should be able to run.

Couch to 5k is awesome. I am not a natural runner, but it's the only exercise I've ever stuck to once I got going. I now run 30 miles a week. Started off not being able to run for 30 seconds.

Ok....can I be brutally honest? Cancel it if you're not using it, it's a waste of money. You've had lots of suggestions, but equally you've made excuses why you can't do these.

I'm not being horrible I promise you. I just realise that unless you set your mind to something or find something you really enjoy doing, then you won't do it.

I've made heaps of excuses over the years, and it's only now I'm 43 that I'm finding my thing. You just need to find yours....

So was I. Seriously, I know lots of people like that - can do other things but are just "not built for running". This works.

Either way the gym is a waste of good money if you are not using it.

You do know that it's all about attitude don't you? Chucking money at gyms and dvd's will not of itself make you fit. I was 38 (early 2013) when I started C-2-5k and I just finally got to a point where it was "now or never". Either I was always going to be an unfit slightly overweight person (much more unfit than overweight) or I was going to actually do it. My mindset just changed.

It sounds like the only incentive you have to ever excercise is to keep your gym membership.

I didn't think I could run. I swam a lot bit used to have a job where I needed to be on call a lot, and I couldn't take the pager in the pool, so I tried running, an early predecessor of the Couch to 5k. Works very gradually, but is effective. 2 weeks after my first run/walk/wheeze I bought proper running shoes. The Couch to 5 K is free, why not give it a try. You start mostly with walking.

YANBU.

Waste of money - do outdoor activities and perhaps some DVD workouts.

If you're not using/enjoying the gym, it would be better to cancel your membership unless money is no object!

As the world's worst runner who couldn't imagine jogging for one minute at a time, I'll add my voice to the try-the-Couch25k chorus, as I can now run (jog) for 25 minutes without stopping.

If that doesn't float your boat, do you have good walks where you live?

I love running but I know enough not to waste my time trying to convince doubters that it is in any way enjoyable. If you hate it, you hate it.

As for your gym membership, cancel it if you're not using it. Why waste the money. I'm not going to bother suggesting alternatives because you've been so dismissive of everyone else's posts!

Your options are:

1.Do nothing, keep paying the gym membership but dont use it
2.Cancel gym membership and find some form of exercise you can stick to
3.Make the decision to use the gym, try a new class, try swimming, try running, try bloody anything

1. Do number 2 and then Get a dog and go for 2 walks a day and leave it at that. Or borrow someone elses dog. Come on most people can get into walking!!

There you go, job done.

I haven't been dismissive, I've said I don't enjoy the things they've suggested - I did say I'm just not that really into exercise. Sorry if that offends you in some way (why??)

I do occasionally go to the gym but if I didn't have a membership the paltry amount of exercise I DO do would reduce to virtually nothing! However the general consensus is to cancel so I shall do so with the backing of the MN jury!

All those who say they can't run, that they get breathless or a stitch after less than a minute....can I let you into a secret? Its like that for the vast majority of people when they first start! I was an unsporty child, an on off gym goer in my 20s and only started running in my 30s...I discovered my exercise! You just need to discover yours op!

Cancel.

Get a few keep fit DVD's (Davina/Jillian Michaels) off Ebay

Mix this up with a 20/30 min run 2/3 times a week.

This is what I decided to do after New Year- having a new baby in the house meant I was unable to just go off to the Gym. Coupled with healthy eating I have lost 9lbs and have a waistline (last seen in 1999)

It doesn't offend me in the slightest.

Glad to hear it.

I can't run. Sorry but I REALLY can't run.

I have exercise DVDs but never use them!

I think I just need to embrace life sat on my arse!

I love my pay as you go gym. I go as much as I want, which is usually about twice a week, but don't feel guilty if I miss one.

'I go as much as I want'

This is why I am not convinced it would work for me!