Is it Possible to Talk About the Gym Without Sounding Like an Egotistical Maniac?

You know that saying “how do you know if someone does Crossfit? Don’t worry they’ll tell you.” To be honest, that’s true for anyone that does crossfit, yoga, pilates, soul cycle, jiu jitsu, bodybuilding, literally any activity that is considered working out there are people that talk about it constantly. There are also people who always complain about the people that talk about it. My questions is, is there any good way to talk about working out? Can you say you enjoy it? Do I have to say I hate it for fear of being labeled or do I have to hide it like my love for Justin Bieber's music?  

Other hobbies are cool, “Oh you take pictures! I’m so interested!” “Ballroom dancing oh tell me more!” “You gamble on underground turtle races? That’s soooo awesome!” But as soon as you bring up the gym even in passing there’s this awkward little moment where you see the relief spread over their face when you move on. “I went to the gym after work...*pause, pupils dilate, eyebrows raise like are we really gonna talk about this shit cause I just pounded two Mcdoubles and a shamrock shake on the way over here... “and on my way home”...sigh of relief.

People find comfort in knowing you’re not taking care of yourself or knowing that working out is as hard for you as it is for them. It gives people an excuse to not have to take care of themselves. Yeah working out is difficult. Yeah, going to the gym everyday is exhausting and hard to keep up. Yeah, donuts taste delicious and pizza is fantastic and nothing healthy is open after 10pm. It’s not easy. If it was easy everybody would have six packs and no one would wear t-shirts in the swimming pool. (I can say that, I did that when I was a kid) It’s weird when other people get mad if you are in pursuit of something difficult. This is the origin of haters and trolls, people just can’t handle the reality that they can change their current situation. They look at the people that are where they want to be or are working to get there and root for their failure. Because if you see someone fail it gives you permission to not even try. It’s so much easier to look at someone who’s jacked, in great shape, killing the game and just say “oh they probably take steroids.” Like you would be where they’re at all you had to do is shoot a couple syringes in your ass. You realize you still have to put in the work if you take steroids, right?

There’s so much science out there showing how good exercise and healthy eating is for you. Thinking that a sedentary lifestyle and eating garbage isn't hurting your body is a lot like denying the gas emissions from human activity isn't contributing to climate change. It’s one thing to say you don’t care, it’s entirely different to say that there’s not a direct connection between diet and exercise and your health. Don’t get me wrong, I believe everybody can treat their body however they want. It doesn’t affect me. But it’s weird when I get shamed for being on a certain diet or tell people that I work out at a Crossfit Gym.

I realize there are a lot worse things to be labeled as but in the current cultural landscape it seems that whatever you’re labeled that’s your entire identity. If some throws a “gym rat” or “meathead” label on me that means that my entire life revolves around the gym. That I’m not a nuanced person because I make the time to train my body and eat healthy foods. So in order to preserve my nuanced appearance I can’t mention that I work out because then people would have me “pinned down”. Because in their minds I can’t possibly find the time to have a meaningful job, write articles regularly, read, volunteer, and also go to the gym.

I hope that people realize that upping their levels of physical activity whether that be walking, running, yoga, joining a gym, whatever, will help extend the quality of your life. For me, the guy that didn’t care about his grades in high school is equivalent to an adult that doesn’t care about their health. And everyone knows where that guy is, apparently “on da grind” since senior year (a.k.a. not doing great...).