Good morning Dinks. Well it’s been two weeks since I joined the gym, remember that? With our new apartment, increased rent and unpredictable hydro bill I won’t be setting travel as a personal goal in the New Year. In 2015 I am going to focus on myself and that means less stress, looking good and feeling great. What activity helps release tension and burn calories? I know what you’re thinking and no not that, well yes also that, but it’s not what I’m referring to. I’m talking about THE GYM!
I’ve been thinking about joining a gym for some time, actually for over a month. However I never did it because Nick thinks it’s a waste of money. “We have lots of room in this apartment, work out here” he’s told me every single time my gym membership comes up. You know what? He’s right! We do have a lot of space in our new apartment and I do have at least a dozen weight training and yoga DVDs, but that’s not going to help me lose weight. I need to do cardio and that’s why I joined a gym.
You can’t put a price on happiness
Every month for a full year I’m paying $41 for my gym membership. Nick thinks that money could be better spent on groceries or hydro, and once again he’s right. But sitting at home all warm and cozy while eating snacks isn’t going to help me lose weight.
I want to lose weight and having a gym membership is the way I’m going to do it. The first week I worked out three times and this week I’m going to the gym four times. I know it’s only been a couple of weeks but believe me when I say I feel a lot better. I feel happier, less stressed and I am sleeping better – I guess it’s because I’m burning off all that extra energy.
Paying for it makes me stick to it
I hate wasting money so if I’m paying for a gym membership I will go – no matter how cold it is outside I am going to the gym. My workout plan is a combination of weight training with a personal trainer, cardio on my own time and yoga classes.
If I took Nick’s advice and decided to work out at home I would never do it – I haven’t been doing it. I can find a million other things I’d rather be doing at home aka excuses not to work out, but if I’m paying for it I HAVE to use it. I plan to get the most out of my $41 and so far it’s been money well spent.
Being healthy is priceless
Why the sudden need to lose weight? Because my doctor told me to. Yep that’s right, back in August my doctor told me I should lose 30 pounds – so that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve never been skinny but having your doctor tell you to lose weight puts getting in shape on a whole other level. According to my last check up I have low risk of heart disease and low cholesterol, but my body fat is way too high and that’s where my gym membership comes in. When you think about it $41 per month is only $492 over the next year. Isn’t that a small price to pay to be healthy for the rest of your life?
Kristina Tahnyak
Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.
I’m on your side, Kristina! I need to go to the gym because my doctor told me too. Last June, I was hospitalized and I was very, very sick during that time. I need to lose some weight and now I can totally prove that health is wealth.
I am the same way, paying for it makes me stick to it. I think you have to find your own motivation like that and take advantage of it. Working out at home doesn’t ever seem to work for me either, since we have 4 kids. lol. It’s almost impossible.
There’s a lot of “but you can work out at home!” that goes on in the PF blogosphere. Which, in the event that you cannot fit a gym membership into your budget makes sense. But if you have the ability to buy a gym membership, and USE it, then it can be priceless. Having a place to go to workout is motivation in itself. If you make going to the gym an event, you’re more likely to do it. I find that being surrounded by others who are fitness minded really helps me get a great workout in.
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