Almost everyone has had a gym rat tell them that the gym will solve all their problems. Their rationale often includes that going to the gym will make people look, think and feel better. Even Equinox, a luxury fitness club, has utilized the slogan It’s Not Fitness, It’s Life, suggesting the embellished idea that the gym is much more than just one fitness option — despite it being exactly that.
The gym has been wrongly positioned as the universal solution to fitness. In reality, this alienates many people from exercise by ignoring individual differences in motivation, personality and the many equally valid forms of fitness.
The gym is a very literal and technical form of exercise, with catered equipment that targets muscle groups and cardio machines that track pace. A gym rat will count their reps and sets, feel the burn and focus on their form. Because the gym has a singular, clear purpose, it is no wonder that it has become the default when people think of getting into fitness. However, this default is a double-edged sword. While it can be the most direct way to get a workout done, it can lack mental stimulation for certain individuals which many other forms of exercise excel in.
For instance, playing a sport comes with a unique strategic side. A soccer or basketball game not only will break a sweat, but a player must also dissect the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses — finding gaps and working with a team to exploit them. Hiking comes with stunning views and quenches explorative cravings to see the world’s natural beauty. Even a simple run outdoors has benefits over running on a treadmill. People whose life would be improved by sports or outdoor movement are deterred from fitness altogether because of pressures to choose the gym instead.
This isn’t to say the gym is a bad method of exercise, as the gym is a great tool for many fitness enthusiasts. The gym is rightfully credited by many for being a helpful mental health regulation tool. This does not mean, however, that the gym should be conflated with fitness entirely, allowed to take over fitness conversations and become the default recommendation.
Take this Reddit conversation, for example. This person is seeking tips on how to become more active, and even noted loving sports when they were younger. However, the gym is still the most recommended form of exercise in the comments. Of course, there are individuals encouraging the original poster to find what motivates them, but there are also numerous commenters immediately defaulting to the gym as their recommendation.
This assumption that the gym is meant for everyone turns people away from exercise entirely. Firstly, it creates a culture that often invalidates someone if they express that they do not enjoy the gym, claiming they are either going to the wrong gym, or just literally taking the wrong approach to fitness entirely. This can also lead to studies that connect endorphins to the gym being weaponized to convince people to go to the gym, even though the gym is far from the only method of producing endorphins.
The fitness industry also uses harmful advertising tactics centering around physique rather than overall health and wellbeing, which pushes unrealistic beauty standards as an effort to get people in their gyms. In other words, the industry exploits individual insecurities as a marketing tactic to create demand purely based on aesthetics. Once gyms have curated a culture focused on aesthetic bodybuilding instead of health and wellness, it sets an example to new gym-goers that pushes them away from a health-conscious lifestyle.
The gym also is just flat out not for everyone. Sports, cycling, swimming or even snowboarding may be a much better option for someone who craves more mental stimulation while they exercise, rather than just the monotony of counting reps.
And for a select few that are philosophical or historical, one simple thought can ruin the entire experience. The modern gym facility was invented in the 20th century to offset the fact that we have automated so much of our society that exercise is now something we have to fit into our routines, when it used to be completely integrated into our daily lives. Let that sink in.
The universalization of the gym can negatively impact someone’s relationship with fitness, even turning them off completely from it. While encouraging fitness among loved ones can be supportive and worthwhile, it is important to not project a falsely universal hobby onto others. Thus, it is important to find the mode of exercise that best suits you. It is okay to not like the gym — as long as you are active, that is what matters most.
Alexander Randall is an Opinion Staff Writer. He can be reached at arandal1@uci.edu.
Edited by Riley Schnittger