A world without the gym: a glorious Utopia, or the road to (yet more) national
slothfulness? Whichever your view, the death of the treadmill has arrived.
For the first time since gyms muscled their way into the public
consciousness in the Eighties, there has been a sharp decline in the number
of people joining them.
Open a copy of Grazia or heat and you will find confirmation. A decade ago we
were bombarded with images of celebs on their way to and from the gym
(typified by the Princess of Wales's love of the Harbour Club in Chelsea).
Now we are more likely to learn about Geri Halliwell's love of swinging
kettleballs in the park.
Five years ago, when gyms and health clubs were at the peak of their
popularity, 8.7 million of us in Britain were members. But statistics from
the accountancy firm Deloitte reveal that 54,000 fewer people took out gym
membership during 2007 than they had 18 months previously. In some parts of
the country, including Northern Ireland, the West Midlands and the North
East, the dropout rate has risen to 8 per cent, despite joining fees falling
by an average of 17 per cent. And there is worse to come, according to
business analysts, who point to falling profits and share prices of many
clubs over the past two years. Gyms, they say, have fallen into a price
battle to woo new custom.
Thanks partly to changed lifestyle choices and partly to the economy, the
gym's heyday has come and gone. Just as Jane Fonda and her legwarmers were
superseded by the treadmill in the late Eighties, so in the new millennium
the gym has been elbowed aside by yoga, Pilates and outdoor boot-camp-style
programmes such as park circuits.
It may be odd to contemplate for under-35s who can't recall a high street
without tracksuits, but it was only 20 years ago that physical activity was
remodelled into daily “fat-melting” workouts and promoted as something that
would make participants feel - and, crucially, look - younger and healthier.
The number of gyms soared, and we joined them in droves.
In the late 1980s there were fewer than 200 gyms in the UK. Now, according to
the Fitness Industry Association (FIA), there are 5,714 - more than 3,000 of
them private health clubs, of which the bigger names such as Fitness First
and David Lloyd Leisure have branches nationwide. “You are never more than
20 minutes from a public or private fitness facility in the UK,” says Howard
de Souza of the FIA.
Yet we have started avoiding them. Partly, we have realised that they don't
work. Research last year at the University of Leicester confirmed that the
fitness-industry boom has had little impact on the nation's girth. Dr
Jennifer Smith Maguire, the study's author, says: “Many Western countries
have experienced this strange situation, with fitness and exercise
industries expanding alongside problems of inactivity.”
Almost a quarter of British adults are judged to be obese and, if current
trends continue, 60 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women will be
clinically obese by 2050.
There is a growing realisation, too, that gyms are sterile environments, and
that their clinical approach to working out becomes simply boring after a
while. This may help to explain why, alongside the gym's demise, alternative
forms of exercise are flourishing. Dedicated yoga and Pilates studios are on
the increase, more people are running now than during the jogging boom of
the 1980s, and participation in activities as varied as ballroom dancing,
ice-skating and triathlons is rising. It has become obvious to consumers
that there are other, more appealing, means of burning calories - and that
even walking the dog or cycling to work can be considered battling the bulge.
According to Dr Smith Maguire, gyms focus on “image rather than health”, which
tends to mean that their customers' commitment is sustained for only a
limited period. Psychologists are convinced that the ploys used by the
fitness industry to attract new members will have short-lived health
benefits, if any, for those they attract. “Gyms feed into people's
insecurities about their weight and appearance, and get them to join in the
belief that they can change those things,” says Martin Hagger, a social and
health psychologist at the University of Nottingham. “Yet it has been shown
time and again in studies that extrinsic motivational factors - such as
improving the way you look, or losing weight - are unlikely to achieve the
desired results.
“If people exercise simply to shed fat, not because they enjoy it, they will
either give up before they achieve their goal or will think ‘job done' when
it is finally reached, then revert to their old habits of inactivity.”
Another reason, though not a new one, why gyms are not fulfilling their
promise is that, while we have paid up, we haven't always turned up. Many
surveys have indicated that, six months after joining, the dropout rate
among new gym members is about 60 per cent. One Mintel report suggested that
20 per cent of health club members work out there no more than once a month.
“Gym membership is altogether different from gym attendance,” says Dr David
Haslem, a GP and clinical director of the National Obesity Forum (NOF).
“People join and feel a degree of smugness about having a gym membership
card in their wallet - but what's the point if they never set foot though
the door?”
What has been lost, it seems, is an accurate perception of what activity
means. “People think you need to join a gym to get fitter, but activity
doesn't have to be done in a single 60 to 90-minute session,” says Dr Colin
Waine, chairman of the NOF. “The real key is to build exercise into your
daily life. You can become much more active without spending anything, and
walking farther or taking stairs instead of escalators are approaches that
could benefit a greater number of people.”
Dr Beckie Lang, of the Association for the Study of Obesity, agrees. “You
don't need to make big changes to your lifestyle, such as going to a gym
every day,” she says. “Consistency is what matters - and that means that
activity must become a habit. So if doing the school run on foot is
something you are more likely to keep up, that is better than a step class
once a week.”
Many studies have linked moderate daily activity - the kind that can be
achieved without donning Lycra - to more significant and longer-lasting
improvements in health than the occasional gut-busting session at a gym. In
a 2001 study, Professor Klaas Westerterp, of Maastricht University in the
Netherlands, found that people who did moderate amounts of daily activity
burnt more calories than those who performed short but intense gym sessions
at lunchtime or after work. “After a tough workout, people typically limit
their activity and either go back to their desk or relax for the evening,
assuming that they have done enough,” he says.
Another study, at the University of Ottawa, suggested that, the harder the
workout, the more calories people were likely to consume afterwards. It
followed that a more relaxed approach to activity could result in greater
long-term weight loss. A group of women were invited to eat as much as they
wanted at a buffet lunch after a morning gym session of between 60 and 90
minutes. Those who pushed themselves to the limit in high-intensity
workouts, such as running at a pace too fast to hold a conversation, or
high-impact aerobics, gobbled up “in excess of 90 per cent of the calories
they had just burnt” in the post-workout meal. Conversely, says Professor
Eric Doucet, who led the research, those who adopted a more leisurely
approach, such as brisk walking, replaced only about a third of the calories
they had used.
Dr Waine says that the fitness industry has complicated exercise so much that
we make absurd attempts to achieve what could easily be integrated into our
day. “People drive to fitness centres, and gyms have installed escalators
and lifts to save people walking,” he says. “They just need to be more
active each day and obesity levels would drop.” Since the 1950s we have
lost, on average, about two-and-a-half hours of calorie-burning activity a
day. Back then, fewer labour-saving devices meant that people covered
between three and five miles each day in the course of their ordinary lives.
Now we barely manage that distance in a week.
Activity need not be done in a single burst. Current government
recommendations suggest that 30 minutes of moderate exercise is enough to
make an impact on health, but more is obviously better. “This eliminates the
common excuses of not having the time or money to exercise,” says Dr Lang.
“Do whatever you enjoy and you are likely to want to do more - gardening,
walking, cycling to work, playing football with the kids. Just get moving.”
Integrated Exercise by Peta Bee is published by Kyle Cathie Ltd at £14.99;
available from Times BooksFirst at £13.49: 0870 1608080,
timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst
How to lose more weight for no money
Clean the bathtub 4 calories a minute
Play the air guitar 3.5 calories a minute
Rake the lawn 6 calories a minute
Take up playing the trombone 7 calories a minute
Go on a “bear-hunt” with children in the woods 5.5 calories a
minute
Play hopscotch 7.5 calories a minute
Sing to your favourite CD while standing up 3 calories a minute
In-line skate to work 5.5 calories a minute
Push two supermarket trolleys at once when shopping 8 calories a minute
Sand floors with an electric sanding machine 9 calories a minute
Decorate a room 7 calories a minute
Go paintballing 8 calories a minute
Carry a toddler around the shops 9 calories a minute
Saw some hardwood 9 calories a minute
Perform jumping jacks while watching TV 11 calories a minute
I agree with much of what this article has to say. Unless you can build excercise into your day it can seem like a real chore, especially if you are unfit. Some people are good at fitting the gym into their lives and at setting themselves targets and sticking to them. Others get bored of the gym and don't go very often.
The most successful thing I have found for keeping me fit and slim is cycling to work. It is 10 miles each way and provides me with 90 minutes of strenuous excercise every day. It doesn't take any time out of my day as I have to get to work some how and my choices are restricted to my bike or the train/tube. I do this 5 days a week and never have to give any thought to what I'm going to eat.
Peter Thornton, London, UK
Working out is not effective if you use it as an excuse to eat even more.
RB, Aberdeen,
There is more 'in-house' entertainment now than 30 years ago ( 24 hour TV, computers, online music) and a higher expectation of comfort in our leisure time: we don't leave our houses as often to go anywhere...except by car.
Barbara Nunn, Loughborough, England
To blame a gym's "sterile environment" and say they "don't work" is utter rubbish. I've dropped 4kg of fat since Christmas and now have a visible six-pack in my late thirties. What people who want to lose weight must understand is that going to the gym is not like going to the dentist. Exercise is just a (lesser) factor...diet is the key. If you eat vastly more than you burn then you can run miles but you will not see a reduction in fat.
When you go to the dentist you passively have something done to you. If you want to lose fat (not just weight) then you will have to actively educate yourself about healthy eating and the role exercise plays (or pay someone else who already has)
H Hau, London,
There is always a section of society that is looking for the easy solution. Controlling weight is a simple matter of diet and exercise. We should be applauding the fact that gyms encourage people to join, especially the unhealthy and obese. The fact that so many people do not maintain their gym attendance for long periods is probably the reason why so many are obese, a lack of committment and discipline, in other words, laziness. This article forgets to mention the benefits of gym workouts in fostering body strength, toning and skeletal muscle exercise, which is especially important in controlling osteoporosis. The only issue I have with gyms is that they are expensive. Perhaps the government should consider subsidising gym membership for low income earners or tax breaks for gyms. If this encouraged only another 10% of the population to exercise regularly it would still save the health system billions in the future. On a personal note listening to an ipod makes gym time pass quicker.
David Lea-Smith, Edinburgh, U.K.
Structuring 2 -3 visits into our week to visit our local gym has given me and my husband huge benefits in our early fifties. Energy levels are generally higher, stress is lower, and colds and minor ailments happen more rarely. I bounced back within a month after major surgery last year and my husband's Diabetes 1 condition is more under control. Gyms might not be the answer for some but ours has given us an extra lease of youthful life, and that in itself makes those household tasks far less arduous.
Elizabeth Woodhouse, Brighton, England
My gym membership costs me EUR 20 a month (about 14 pounds). I go about 2 or 3 times a week for an hour at a time. No mirrors, no TV! Just a room with about twenty abstract works of art on the walls and the person at the counter playing whatever he or she fancies at a volume that still allows you to listen to your music or read your book. Great stuff.
Yes, cycling would be nice, or going for a walk in the park - but it's dark right now and the only option would be the gym or the pool and the gym is closer.
Martina, Dusseldorf, Germany
I started to use the gym at the age of 58. I had always been a sport freak -ballet, tennis etc. but unable to do anything in the evenings after work - home to cook and care for child. Now I am 63 and I do muscle training daily as it help my mood swings - release of natural endorphines - and also, as I do ,not like dairy foods it may help me to avoid osteoporosis. Yes, I am definitely addicted to the gym, especially muscle training and lifting of weights. I am slim - always has been, so losing weight is not what I am after.
Anita Watts, Brussels, Belgium
Anita Watts, Brussels, Belgium
Exercise must be central to your life if it is to be beneficial. I have reduced my weight by appx. 32 kgs in 18 months by tread mill running and outside running EVERY day. And I mean real running. I am now up at 8 - 10 kms each day at a good speed (10 kms in around 48 minutes). This exercise must be coupled with a good diet. I eat no potato, rice or pasta but I don't cut out carbs. completely. I eat cereal with milk every morning, always fruit and then something like liver pate on bread for nourishment. Always eat salad for lunch and then something LIGHT in the evening. I have cut out read meat and am almost vegetarian but this isn't a must for a healthy weight looser; it just suits me.
Another golden rule, NEVER EVER take a second helping. Just imagine your plate with two helpings piled up on it and then you begin to realise how much a second helping really is! Also cut out unecessary meals like tea with a cake or biscuit in the afternoon - you don't need that at all!
martin wilcox, Guildford, UK
14% of the UK population are members of gyms and out of those 14% the rates of obesity is a good deal lower than the national average.
This is a negative bashing of health clubs who are providing safe and professional exercise facilities across the whole country.
Many people who live in inner cities do not have the luxury of running about in leafy suburbs doing bootcamps or running by the sea ,both more enjoyable than attending the gym, although breakthroughs in technology now mean that you can connect to the internet ,watch your favourite TV show or listen to your I Pod to increase enjoyment.
Health clubs are not perfect places but it is ridiculas to say they are in some way responsible for obsity levels.
I live in Barcelona where 30% of the population are members of health clubs (worlds second highest) and where VAT on health club memberships was reduced 5 years ago from 16.5% to 7%.!
Rod Hill, Barcelona, Spain
"statistics from the accountancy firm Deloitte reveal that 54,000 fewer people took out gym membership during 2007 than they had 18 months previously"
This is the only data to sustain this article yet it is dubious - comparing a 12 month period (2007) with what exactly? And a fall of 54000 against membershipof 8m is hardly evidence of dec line - whats the trend line?
Do your research!
julia, london,
The simple logic of an active lifestyle (without cars and TV?)being better than the gym is hard to dispute. But what makes the experts think that the gym-leavers and non-joiners are going to take their advice? Alternative activity to gym sessions is just that, alternative. For those that don't bother either way, nothing changes whether gyms are there or not.
I have used the gym 2 or 3 times a week for 18 months, lost 3 stone in weight and feel immensely better off. The gyms do need to respond to modern hedonism to stay economically healthy. But in the end, physical exercise takes commitment which the majority just don't and probably will never have. The experts may be good at market and medical analysis but socially and culturally they are whistling in the wind.
Ken Robertson, Oxford, United kingdom
It is often the same people who walk on the escalators in the tube and who attend a gym/ class/ pool on a regular basis. And yes, being healthy is a life commitment (not a one off thing) and it is better to have a healthy food diet AND a regular activity AND some stronger exercises.
But it is up to everyone to find what suits him the best in the long term and you need a strong will not to succomb to lazyness temptation.
It's incredible how people need to be told everything. It is common sense that seating on a sofa whilst having crisps and soda is unhealthy.
Pauline, London,
Fewer than 200 gyms in the UK in the late 80s?
I don't think so.
Now, I pay £58 a month at my gym and go 5 times a week.
That's about £2.50 per visit, lasting say 2 hours, which is great value compared to say the cinema, or even just going for a pint.
It keeps me fit and healthy and obviously I enjoy it, if you want to say at home and watch TV that's fine, just don't tell me that I should be joining you.
Stuart, Sutton Coldfield,
Try Power Walking and Nordic Walking as an alternative to the gym. Much better to be outside, breathing healthy air rather than the recycled air in a gym! Also gyms are so boring; nothing to see except the tv in front of you and other people showing off their pecs. Getsetgofitness.co.uk gives more information on outdoor healthy activities, slimming and nutrition ideas - there is so much you can do outside the confines of a gym to keep yourself fit and healthy!
Rob, London, UK
Its the mega -health clubs that are victims here of their own over exposure...seriously, why the ridiculous joining up , administration and membership fees?
patrick, the hague, Netherlands
Thank goodness, sanity prevails at last !
I had begun the fear that normal people - like me - were the last of a dying breed!
(p.s. leave the puns out - I've heard them all already!)
Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU
Go run around the park and buy a few basic weights to use at home, basically free and just as good - unless you want to look like a muscle bound moron.
kjy, London,
Some drivel written here. By your rationelle, as gym uptake is down over 18 months less people go to the gym. Thats because so many of them are already members. Gym participation is at an all time high.
And as for the comment gyms dont work because the nation is getting fatter...Drivel. The lazy non-exercisers are getting fatter but the relative exercising minority aren't.
As for the comment about liposuction. The person has no hope in life!
Ryan, Preston, UK
I can only agree that Gyms do not improve weight loss as I lost far more weight by simply walking for 90 mins every day outdoors than I ever did from going to the Gym. Further than that taking a serios look at the calorific consumption helps alot too. The last Gym I went to did not offer what I consider good value or a great experience either. My advise would be as many others to leave the Gym or not bother joining at all and simply reduce calorie intake and increase exercise to enjoy the many benefits for free.
Mark Carruthers, Derby, UK
I have diabetes and high-cholesterol. Since going to the gym 2-3 times a week my cholesterol level has fallen from over 9 to under 4, my blood pressure has fallen from 140/90 to 120/80 and my blood sugar levels are being maintained easier. I haven't lost weight, but many of your correspondents don't seem to appreciate that there are far greater health benefits to be gained from exercise.
I personally need the discipline of the fixed regime I get in the gym to ensure that I do the exercise. I get this together with access to 3 pools, sauna, steam room, etc, etc, for less than £30 per month from my local council leisure centre. I could of course pay far more for the privately run gyms near by and get a free towel.
Alex Ritchie, Salisbury, UK
More to do with people being strapped for cash more like, pluse when I and extended family belonged to a well-known chain of gyms we were all threatened with debt-collectors when we tried to cancel, and the boss didnt have the decency/manners/guts to reply to letters-bad customer service always catches up-we all left.
steve, coventry, uk
I accept that many people joining health clubs do so, on the advice of a doctor, or perhaps that invaluable piece of advice garnered from an in-flight magazine. The fact is that there is a lot more to be gained from gym memberships (please read attendance and hard training) than mere weight loss. Not everyone is a muscle-head like me but as for gyms being "boring"; well, you know; only boring people get bored. Aim for improved appearance, better skin tone, memory and concentration, vastly improved respiration, the creation of a nutrient debt resulting in improved utilisation of dietary nutrients and supplements, a sense of well-being, more energy for the rest of your day, lower blood pressure and resting pulse, stimulated immune system and so forth. Putting your back into it, you should get all of the above and have a distinct health advantage over merely walking or tipping icy water on your head. Asta - I understand your frustration; you need to train and diet "zusammen"!!
Marc, Bloemfontein, RSA
Those that complain about not losing weight whilst training should really think about why that is. The most common reason is that people work hard at the gym, then go home and 'treat' themselves - totally destroying the impact their training could have on fat-loss. I'm not suprised this leads to unwanted muscle gain for some as you're unwillingly entering a calorie surplus.
Losing weight is 80% diet, the training is there to supplement the loss. In addition, you CANNOT transform fat into muscle and vice versa so stop trying to do so! Lastly, studies show that ligting weights leads to far greater weight loss than cardio - before you even think it, no you will not turn into hulk through lifting! If you are getting 'too muscular', drop the weights and increase the repetitions.
I for one am glad that cardio bunnies are dropping out of gyms, there is nothing worse than the sound and sight of fifty machines working away with Heat reading Annies looking like they are about to melt.
Squire, London,
The gym is not the sole answer to living a healthy lifestyle but part of it. It does need dedication to achieve a positive result, what doesn't in this life. So it may take a fair chunk of your time up.....shouldn't have got into the state you find yourself in in the first place. I go on average 4 times a week for an hour minimum. It does consume a lot of my free time. Since New Year I've lost two inches off my waist line, result. Now I go less and enjoy other things. Sometime's you just got to put the work in to the exclusion of other things. Short term pain for long term gain.
Just as an idea, can't gyms have generators fitted to the machines so they can feedback energy into the grid?
J Phin, Manchester, UK
Maybe. There might be a couple of other reasons.
1. The economy is tightening. If people are worried about making their mortgage payments, gym membership is likely to be dropped.
2. A growing sense of thrift might drive people to alternatives. If you look in Tesco, Argos etc., you'll see perfectly adequate exercise equipment on sale for tens of pounds. For the cost of a few months gym membership you could buy your own gym. Why bother trudging to a gym?
Ray Warren, Dartmouth,
Judging from the shape of the Brits I saw last time I was back home, it's out of the gym and into the burger bar
Nick Mortimer, Toulouse,
Start from day one. Bring back sports and activities in primary school. Make play areas safer so older children can play together on their own without their parents. I am lucky in that I live in London near two open areas however many children don't have parks or open areas they can go to.
Paul, London,
The article seems pretty accurate to me - and those who comment that those who get bored aren't working hard enough in the gym are idiots.
A year ago I started cycling to work (40 mins each way) and going to the gym for 45 mins after my morning cycle. I didn't lose much weight for about 9 months - but I felt much healthier. My gym work was moderate using a heart rate monitor to ensure I didn't over-exercise (an issue not mentioned by the gym junkies).
I started losing weight when I changed my diet to avoid processed foods.
The combination of a sensible diet (I don't exclude fats or carbs) and moderate exercise has made me feel healthier, slimmer and fitter.
The gym is boring - but provided you are aware that it is making you healthier (not necessarily slimmer) and position it in part of the day where you can do it by habit without competing obligations - you will feel much healthier. To lose weight you need to target your diet.
James, London,
Exercise for exercise sake? Hardly anyone will be able to do that for very long. I cycle a great deal but only because I enjoy cycling. If I had to do it, I wouldn't! Find an exercise regime that you enjoy first and the benefits will accrue without even trying.
Ken Wood, Fleet, UK
This is utter rubbish - my gym is busier than ever (I wouldn't mind some fewer people there but I'm sure the owners wouldn't)
Having lost over two stones since last summer and enjoying some health benefits the gym is perfect for us stuck behind a desk all day.
If you get bored on the machines then join a couple of classes
lazy lot!
David, Edinburgh,
Another point this article neglects to mention, is that joining a gym is infuriating. Living in London as a young active man who wanted to use a gym for a swim once a week and perhaps the odd workout , I found the whole process of joining one a complete farce. Nearly all good gyms have a flat monthly rate and do not cater to occasional users. Therefore although you can use the gym every day and consider the monthly price a bargain, if you use it occasionally it is far from it. Also, I object to handing over my bank details to gyms that insist on a direct debit in order to join. Why I can't just pay each time I go is beyond me. Most gyms force you into taking it all so seriously and being terribly dedicated which puts people off. If I want to be an Adonis and have a personal trainer I'll ask thanks.
So, to all gym owners/managers here is some advice:
I don't want to come every day.
I don't want to set up a direct debit.
I want to pay per visit not per month.
Here's hoping.
MK., Ostuni, Italy
I have never been to a gym in my life, never smoked or drank, never watched television (except occasional news), always ate well - avoiding meat, slept well, played well, always curious,active, played Mozart, never missed morning taichi (with a pole) in the park, never missed cold therapy (throwing ten buckets of freezing water over myself) every morning, never missed an afternoon nap, never married and still think I am eighteen at seventy-eight - honest.
San Ying, Montreal, Canada QC
I have walked past, at a brisk pace mind you, several fitness centres and what I have seen inside is not a pretty sight. People sweating profusely, lots of excess flesh, televisions all over the place, and everyone robotic like a scene out of Modern Times. I am sure the sterile environment and the fact people are rammed together like battery chickens, increases rather than decreases stress. I believe there is a lot of wasted energy - why couldn't we all return to the garden and nature - grow and improve the environment. As to obesity - we must simply tax to high heaven bad food and cut out binge drinking.
Stephen Pain, odense, denmark
save the gym money and get lipo and then walk briskly everywhere, with your new slim thighs not rubbing together - it feels great! The gym is a con - no weight to be lost there for the average person unless you starve yourself and go 5+ times a week for at least an hour - who has time for that ?? and how terribly tedious - I have a life AND look fab now, job done, money well spent.
TJ, London, UK
Competition between gyms and people dropping out? Oh dear! Two brilliant effects for me however. Now that the January popularity has finished, the place is empty and I am also paying less for it than I did last year. People expect the gym to sort out their lives and are disappointed when it doesn't. Surprising to most, it's a combination of things that makes us fit and healthy and people continue to fail to realise this. Us healthy types (yes, smug too) benefit immensely.
Matt, London,
"How to lose more weight for no money
Take up playing the trombone 7 calories a minute
In-line skate to work 5.5 calories a minute
Go paintballing 8 calories a minute"
How are these activities free? Who has a trombone or inline skates lying around at home? Since when has paintballing been a free activity. In my exerpience it's very expensive, especially comapred with the gym.
None of the activities mentioned will give a serious fitness gain, they simply don't burn enough energy. Say you clean the bath, to burn off the average breakfast, you'd need to do that for 50 minutes. How dirty is your bath??
Stewart, Derby, UK
Very good article on gym memberships and weigth loss. There isn t any, as I found out myself. When exercising in the gym I just got more muscular quickly, never thinner. My body fat never "transformed" into muscles (the favoured theory of some gym junkies). Instead the growing muscles plus the existing body fat made me feel fatter than I felt before. (Female, 48 years, BMI 25).
Asta, Hamburg, Germany
Er, it could be that we're almost, if not definitely, entering a recession and people are just saving money by not paying their gym membership. If this article is to be believed then the downturn in the housing market is because people have suddenly decided not to live in houses anymore.
Roger, London, UK
People laugh at the concept of going to the gym and then consuming the calories that you have just burned off. But, for me, I would be eating those calories anyway. I have accepted, sadly, that I am a glutton. I do not want to be obese, therefore I take steps to prevent the food sticking.
And the gym is not boring. If you're bored, you're not working hard enough!
Eleanor Sheppard, London, England
Your article contains mixed messages. 30 mins of moderate exercise a day makes an impact on health in the sense that it increases longevity compared to a completely sedentary person. People drop out of gym membership because they go for 6 months and nothing happens. The reason nothing happens is that they dont work hard enough. Magazine articles, especially aimed at women are full of statements such as 30 minutes walking is enough and stop when you get out of breath. Guess what, its not true - to get fit and lose weight you need to work hard. Its just that magazines dont sell with titles like "How to lose weight by working really hard for an hour every day, keeping up a good level of moderate activity all the time and controlling your eating". Athletes have the bodies they have becuase of hard work and self discipline. if you want to get the same kind of body, do the same kind of work, but dont think that walking on a treadmill reading hello is going to get you very far.
db, london, uk
I go to my local gym around three times a week. I run there and back as well. I love it, and I have lost loads of weight since I have been going..
E Turner, Carlisle, England
Alongside the gym business there is a thriving and, I believe, growing business in personal training. It would have been interesting to cover this in the article.
Sidney Perera, Berkhamsted,
Drive your car five or six times round the block, and note how much fuel you used. Now push the car the same distance and see how tired you feel.
The amount of energy consumed is the same in both cases. This little thought experiment should convince you of the futility of trying to burn calories by exercise.
Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK