Who is still going to the gym?

[Eurydice84]

I exercised at home for a few years during COVID but I have recently joined a gym. Aside from the classes and equipment, I have a sit-down area for when I am working remotely, and I bring DD for swimming lessons, so it seems a good deal. I still exercise at home when I want but I am finding the variety good - the first group class nearly killed me!

Just wondering what the general trend is now? Are people back at the gym or doing Peloton/virtual classes? It seems busy here but not as much as it used to pre-pandemic.

Recently moved back to uk and considered garage gym but it would kind of take up the whole garage and also the gym near me is one of those 24/7 no frills ones but the equipment is amazing and it’s 17 quid a month so really it’s a non brainier. Only thing I don’t like is that they don’t have a 15kg bar but I can live with that.

I've had PF since March so been unable to do any high impact cardio, still managed the cross trainer and bike though. Really ramped up my weight training and also took up Pilates twice a week - this has made a massive difference in my strength; my arms, thighs and butt are like steel now!

since covid I stopped going to the gym. Used to go for PT and HIIT/kettles classes.

In lockdown I bought weights and got an online subscription (Beachbody then AppleFitness+) and would never ever go back to the gym now.

I love being able to do exactly what I want and when I want.

I've joined a cheap gym opening locally next month, but I'll only go twice a week for a bit of cardio and weights, as I already go to two different yoga classes plus have to walk the dog and walk on my commute. I'm not as focused on exercise as I used to be as diet is vastly more important. I can take or leave cardio/weights but feel I should do it for overall health reasons. Yoga is the unmissable thing as it's so much more than exercise and makes a lot of other exercise seem masochistic and pointless. Particularly HIIT or personal trainers, they can fuck off to the far side of fuck.

Me! Personal trainer twice a week, at least one class (they get full quickly so I do whatever I can get to) and one session on the treadmill.

I go twice a week to a class. I don’t think I’d actually do it at home, so going out twice a week is routine to me now.

Not me.

I had a GP referral for a local gym after I had several surgeries at a discount rate. I cancelled when the discounted membership ran out.

They had exercise classes on days/times that were never convenient for me. The main gym was used in majority by men and I was made to feel really uncomfortable on a few occasions by guys not respecting my space and becoming aggressive.

Now I pay as you go at my local swimming pool and do walks in the park in the afternoon and exercise at home instead.

I will be moving to a new location soon so might investigate local gyms again, but they would need to have interesting activities at times that would suit me and not be overrun by men throwing their weight around and intimidating female users.

Home gym all the way for me. First visit to a public gym last week and i hated it.

I love my gym (and hate exercising at home, not enough space, people in the way, too many distractions). It is a big local authority sports centre, very friendly, fairly equal mix of men and women, all ages, body shapes and abilities, great range of equipment. Loads of classes and a lovely clean pool, all very easy to book/cancel via an app. And less than 10 mins walk from home.

@Artygirlghost I started my gym journey at a women's only gym. Wouldn't have done so without, but now feel comfortable taking my rightful space in the free weights. And quite enjoy outlifting blokes with an attitude 🤭. They're not always well publicised but I now know of 4 women only ones I could get to from where I live, so there's a fair few about.

3/4 strength training sessions in a women’s only gym it’s a short walk from home, so no excuses. Working out at home just wouldn’t work for me, I need the motivation that comes with training as a group and coaches for encouragement.

I wasn't a gym person pre-lockdown but took up running and got a bit obsessed with that. I started strength training at home to complement the running but got to the point where I was thinking I needed a bit more equipment and heavier items and to work with a PT. Around the point that I was hesitating over gym membership I got a running injury and spent a few weeks doing low impact exercises like cycling and swimming, which made it worth it for the pool and gym access. Now I go twice a week for swimming and two or three times for strength sessions in the gym, and keep trying to find a good time to fit in a spin class too (I hate them but I'm sure they do me good!). I quite like that I can nip over to the gym and do a 20 min HIIT workout while my son is having his swimming lesson. And with winter coming it is nice to have a dry option for workouts, though I'd rather run in the rain than on a treadmill!