What if the gym isn't for you?

First steps in a gym

The thing that struck me most when I walked into a gym for the first time was that there are mirrors everywhere. It's like a hall of mirrors, impossible to miss your big red face when you're straining, the fact that your belly bounces when you run, or your slightly too obvious bald spot. You see your image everywhere on giant posters as if you were the star of the movie: Home Alone at the Gym!

Personally, I don't get much enjoyment from locking myself in a room. I find that the atmosphere can sometimes be a bit strange, sometimes even a bit heavy. While you're concentrating on the effort, there's a scent of comparison and an air of performance that follows you around as if you were playing overtime from your day at the office. And there's this background music that tries way too hard to convince you that it's supposed to be fun being locked in. You're surrounded by people who are so focused on themselves that they no longer see what's around them. There's something artificial about this universe. Something that invites judgment and makes you sad...

There will always be die-hards who'll tell me there's nothing like the gym to motivate you to get back in shape. There are more services, more coaches, more group classes, you can always find an expert to advise you, follow you, motivate you. For these unconditional gym-aholics, you just need to know how to choose your gym to thrive. Having experienced it, I agree that gyms don't all offer the same thing and that it's possible to find something that suits you. Ideally, you shop around a bit before signing up. You take the time to do a trial to know how you feel inside. Because for me, that's the key to persevering. What you love to do, you'll do again effortlessly.

If every time you add a 20 lb plate to your bench press bar it makes you want to celebrate like Christmas, go for it. For me, I understood it was quite different.

I discovered that being outside in nature brings me a well-being that I can't find indoors. Outside, I can do the activity I want to do right now without wondering if I'm going to encroach on someone's reservation. Walking, biking, kayaking, climbing, there are no limits to the ways I can put my body in action to brave the elements. I can also easily adapt my activity to my fitness level, no one's watching me. If I'm tired, I stop. If I feel capable of pushing a bit, I add a loop to my route or weight to my pack. And then, as if by magic, my physical condition improves without needing to see my progress on a graph. I feel it inside me, I'm vibrating with pleasure!

But for me, the most beautiful thing about moving outside is that little unknown variable. You can do the same activity, take the same route, but you'll never have the same experience along the way. The landscape, the weather, the people and animals that will enhance your route will always contribute differently to the well-being you feel. When you're outside, you live the landscape because you're part of it. When you're in a gym, you often settle for the screen in front of you, and if you're lucky, there's a window overlooking the parking lot...

So now, if you asked me: can the gym fulfill me as much as nature? Well, I imagine if you can read between the lines, you already know my answer. The real question is what you felt when you read what I wrote for you.

If you're still not sure, there's only one way to find out: get dressed and go play outside!