Why I Skip The Gym

I was a devout gym goer for many years. Oh wait. That’s a lie. I had a gym membership for many years. There we go. And, well, you know how it goes: I’d get on a kick and go four or five days per week for several weeks and then I’d stop. A few months later I’d reconnect with the elliptical and consistently go for a few weeks. And then I’d stop. I went through this cycle for the better part of a decade until, eventually, I realized something: I don’t like the gym!

My gym disdain may stem from having grown up as a dancer because I don’t enjoy repeating one consistent movement with my body for 60 minutes. I need to move in more directions and in different dimensions. I need to have intention behind my movements (beyond making the numbers on the display climb higher and higher). I also felt that, even with fitness classes, I couldn’t move beyond the silent competition that was happening. Whether it was with myself or with the other women in the room, all I know is that at the end of a workout I felt neither physically nor mentally better than I did when I entered the gym.

Now, let me take a moment here to say that I am envious of folks who enjoy their daily sweat sessions and know that it is completely possible. Let me also state that I think gyms have one enormous redeeming quality that I miss dearly, which is the herbaly/minty/eucalyptusy/chloriney/rubbery smell. I always take a deep inhale whenever I pass one. My nasal passages notwithstanding, the gym is just not for me. And you know what? That is OK. That is more than OK.

I have come to believe in finding the physical activity (or activities) that you truly enjoy. You know that you’ve found it when you feel that you have to do it, not that you should do it (a wise person once told me that you should never should on yourself). Doing your favorite activity makes you feel strong, healthy, and connected to who you are. Simply put, it makes you feel balanced. It may even become part of your identity. Mine certainly has.

And you know those national guidelines that recommend 30 to 60 minutes of cardio most days of the week? I say screw them. Because when it comes to exercise, here is the bottom line: You’ve got to find an activity that you love to do—regardless of whether it satisfies some recommendation or not—otherwise you’re not going to do it. What's more, when you find that activity that you love to do, it won't feel like exercise. It'll feel like fun.

My most favorite physical activity is yoga (surprise!) I actually happened upon yoga in a pretty interesting way. Shortly after graduating college, I had the opportunity to work at a brand-new magazine called YogaLife. I had never even stepped on a sticky mat before. I started with a few yoga classes at the YogaLife office’s adorable little studio with a view of the New York City skyline. Was it love at first sight? Eh, not really. But I knew one thing: I always felt better at the end of a yoga class than I did at the beginning—the hallmark of something good. And most of all, I liked the idea of yoga even if I felt a little silly and shaky in the poses.

So when I moved to Park City, Utah a few months later and needed some friends, I decided to give yoga another shot. And that’s when it truly felt like I was coming home. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the studio there is one of the most beautiful studios in the country (two words: heated floors) or that I felt like I was walking into a family every time I laid down my Manduka mat. Something about the practice resonated deep inside of me. And before I knew it, yoga was something I felt I had to do, not something I felt I should do. I looked forward to my daily yoga classes, and soon yoga became a part of my life.

You know how else I knew it was for me? Despite all of those years that I (albeit inconsistently) worked out at gyms, I never shed a pound or gained an ounce of muscle. But as soon as I started practicing yoga regularly, my entire body changed. Maybe it’s the simple fact that because I love it I do it so much, which is as good an answer as any. Maybe it’s because yoga has superpowers and it just does that. Or maybe it’s the fact that this is what my body is meant to do. This is what feels good to my body and therefore my body responds accordingly. All I know is that I continue to experience physical transformations as a result of my practice.

Here’s something else about finding the physical activity that is right for you: You never ever ever ever ever need to talk yourself into going. Seriously. You will never give yourself another “you’ll feel so much better when it’s over” pep talk. In fact, you’ll do yourself the biggest favor by fine-tuning your ability to listen to your body. Yesterday I was speaking to someone who really loves the gym (I told you it was possible) and she described the same exact experience that I have with yoga: On those rare occasions when she doesn’t feel like going, she doesn’t go. And the next day when she feels like going to the gym again, her workouts are so much better—she feels stronger and has so much more energy. Same here: Whenever I don’t feel like going to yoga (I’d say this happens twice a month or so because I’m exhausted, sore, or need to get something else accomplished) I, well, don’t go. And I don’t feel an ounce of regret over it. Imagine that.

This is my long-winded way of saying: If you don’t look forward to your current fitness routine find something that you love. Forget about guidelines and recommendations. If it’s something that keeps your body moving, makes you feel good, and that you’ll do as consistently as you can, it will transform your life forever.