I Had A Gym Membership, But I’ve Decided I Won’t Be Going Back Anytime Soon
I was a gym fanatic because I used to think the gym was the only place to relieve stress. It was the only place where I put in an all-in-day work — a place where I let all my emotions and thoughts in a set.
I pushed myself out there on the gym floor. I loved the atmosphere of the gym. The different cultures of people, the machines, and the music get me motivated; it was the only place I could get rid of all the toxins from my body. When I was having a bad day, I made sure I went to the gym to make me feel good. However, after months of paying for expensive memberships, I eventually started not going to the gym as often as I did before.
I was like most people trying to get a gym membership after graduating from college. I toured around several gyms and spoke with sales representatives on what I was looking for in a gym. After purchasing a gym membership, I was excited because I missed exercising a lot and seeing people. The weeks went on, and I continued to workout. However, a few months later, I quit my job and had little money to pay for anything, especially when I was still paying for a gym membership. I placed myself in a budget but had no intention of canceling my membership because I needed the gym.
I set a date to apply for jobs and woke up early every day to go to the gym and workout. I loved working out my legs and glutes because they are my favorite muscles to work out. I felt refreshed after leaving the gym and was motivated to get through the rest of the day.
After months of commitment, I was getting tired of going to the gym. It was emotionally draining, and my body was not performing its best due to working three jobs every day. I was at the time paying for a gym membership with another gym, but I canceled it. After all, I was on a budget — a partial reason I also canceled my membership because I was very insecure with my body. There were many eyes on me whenever I walked into the gym and worked out because I have thick muscular legs and glutes. After I canceled my membership, I decided to do at-home workouts. A couple of weeks after completing workouts on YouTube, I was excited to go to my living room and exercise.
I also remember exercising at home after my sophomore year in college because I was going through an identity crisis. That was the one summer I only focused on myself and lost 22 pounds. I realized that I was pretty much working out to lose weight, not to relieve stress. And yet, I was expected to be happy with my new body, but I wasn’t.
We gain weight as we get older, but we need to accept our bodies. We have to accept and love ourselves unconditionally rather than convincing ourselves to be a specific size. I was insecure with my body, but I am now learning to love my body, whether I do or do not work out. I know that I’m healthy, and I love myself.
