January is the time when gyms are busier as people push through with those new year fitness resolutions. By the time mid-February hits, eager gym-goers have already started trailing off, and you don’t need to wait for a machine. People might avoid the gym for various reasons, from feeling too busy to lacking motivation or energy. 

On the one hand, the gym can be an encouraging place where surrounding yourself with weights and machines motivates you to stick around and sweat. On the other hand, it can be a place where you feel judged by some of those more muscular, sculpted humans pumping weight after weight. Many gym owners recognize this; some are taking action, such as Planet Fitness, with their ‘judgment-free zone.’ Interesting new data shows one of the biggest reasons why so many people are avoiding the gym, so if you feel others are a little judgy in the gym sometimes and it’s putting you off coming back, you’re certainly not alone. 

New data

The Ordnance Survey, or OS, is Great Britain’s National Mapping Service, and recently, they surveyed 2,000 UK adults. 

Here are the results:

• Half of adults, or one in two adults, are put off exercising due to the judgemental culture in gyms.
• 25% are too embarrassed to exercise in a gym.
• 27% worry about what frequent gym-goers will think of them.
• 53% are put off by high membership costs.
• 32% don’t have the motivation to go to the gym.
• Even when trainers and gym staff are available, one in five adults, or 18%, feel anxious about asking for help.
• 28% have concerns that they wouldn’t be able to use the gym properly.
• 95% of exercisers want their workouts to feel more enjoyable and less like a chore.
• 55% felt inspired to work out outdoors after spending time in nature.

What annoys people the most about the gym?

The survey also revealed:

• 30% of adults are annoyed by those who don’t wipe down equipment after use.
• 24% are annoyed by people hogging machines while swiping through Facebook and social media.
• 23% are frustrated with gym-goers taking selfies in busy areas, especially when people are trying to exercise in a certain time frame.

The top 10 gym annoyances

According to the OS survey, here are the top 10 most annoying things about the gym:

1. Not wiping equipment.
2. Using machines while on the phone.
3. Taking selfies when it’s busy.
4. Filming exercises in crowded areas.
5. Using the gym as a social hangout.
6. Excessive grunting.
7. Leaving weights lying around on the floor.
8. Excessively loud conversations over Bluetooth headsets.
9. Seeking attention by exaggerating dropping the weights.
10. Using more than one machine at a time without sharing.

The great outdoors is the new gym

In response, OS launched a campaign called ‘Our Gym is Better Than Yours’ to urge people to work out in the great outdoors instead. The idea is that going outside in the fresh air is the ultimate gym and diminishes any judgement, or fear of judgement, especially for those just starting out. Heading outside avoids many of these problems, concerns, and judgment, and you can do plenty of activities and exercises with little to no equipment. 

For example, you can start with some stretches and find a wall or bench to do a few sets of bench dips. You can go for a jog or run before stopping to do some jumping jacks, kicks, and high knees.