Top reasons not to go to the gym

...and what to do about it.

I choose not go to the gym. Millions have used their New Year's resolution as an excuse to migrate to these institutions. I don't blame them. One would do anything to feel better, healthier, and be more confident for the coming year. 

Years ago I signed for a membership at a local university gym. I felt at the time I needed to lose weight. To build up some muscle. My friend Joel hooked me up with one of the personal trainers. I went through orientation on the various machines, areas, and rules of etiquette. Program ran two weeks, by then I just stopped going. Not because of laziness. Not because of the lack of motivation. It was because it was redundant. But I will get to that point later on. I found good reasons not to ever sign up for membership again:

Lining up - Equipment in most gyms by quantity would satisfy most clientele. But it draws the line when you have to wait 10 minutes for a turn at the machine. By then your rhythm has slowed down, out of timing and basically screw up a mojo  that was built up at the previous machine. And to line up for a machine that is not designed for natural body movement is not, well, natural. And lining up is not limited to actually being in the gym. On average a gym is about 25 minutes from anybody. Most of which is stuck in traffic.

Social network - You go to the gym to work out. That means concentrating on your programs repetitions keeping in time. The gym is 'me' time. Not anybody else's. Why would I stop in mid-workout just to show you how to use the treadmill? Check out this list of annoying people.

It ain't exactly cheap - The fees are expensive. Put together about a year's worth of monthly membership you could have your own equipment at home.

Substandard trainers - Many of these trainers have no experience training clients and by looking at them don’t have experience training themselves.

They're like hospitals - breeding grounds for sickness and diseases. Think about it. Machines not wiped down. Sweat all over the place. Dead skin cells. Heavy breathing. Bleeding sometimes. And that's just one person. You get the picture.

With that said, I delve into the reason for redundancy. I work in the restaurant business. Each day involves body movement that would put any gym equipment to shame. I already go up and down a flight of stairs a few times each shift half the time with 20-30 pounds of food stuffs, equipment in my arms. Transferring full simmering stockpots and reducing sauces from one area to another requires strength as it carries 30-40 liters of hot liquid, and a high amount of dexterity.

I bend over hundreds of times for the low reach-in cooler, and stretch out to get pan after pan for cooking the various entrees.

I walk from the bus station to work and back, each way toning up my legs for a straight 20 minutes, more so if I am late, then i break into a run. Which is the oldest method of exercise. Only now in Manila the residents are getting on the bandwagon of running. It used to be badminton. But running. Most basic exercise. And it turned into a fad. I breath in fresh air, not reconditioned cool air. I use reusable water bottles for hydration.

I very rarely get sick. My girlfriend Rossana hates it that I don't take medication. Philosophy is that if my own body fights the sickness away without the use of chemicals, that means antibodies have built up my immunity the natural way. I very rarely get sick. My lungs are unremarkable, according to my last physical, despite smoking. Dentist doesn't think I smoke. I have a gut but only because I have so much good cooking to taste everyday, as opposed to eating like a rabbit just to lose 5 pounds. But my weight does not wildly fluctuate. I have no movement limitations. 

All this because I do not go to the gym, because I already have access to the best workout everyday. And my daughter Maxine is a pleasant addition. You might want to think about having your kids as the gym. Or workout ideas that can be done at home. Here are a few workout regimens that do not require a plastic membership card.

But then again, that's just me. What is your favorite work out regimen?