The Change of a Workout

The Change of a Workout

There I was, it was six in the morning and I was half asleep, hating my life; Mondays are always the worst. I had chosen to come to the YMCA early in the morning, with the thought that there would be less people there and I would be able to observe my surroundings more. I was completely wrong, and it got me thinking is there a reason that people wake up before the sun comes up and make themselves work out? Do people believe working out makes their day better?

There are a lot of misconceptions about gyms in general. The biggest misconception is that only trainers and really fit people lift weights. I was sitting there in my sweatpants and sweatshirt with my notebook trying to blend in because no one really wants you to watch them while they are working out. I noticed the gym was much like a high school; they had it parted off into sections much like cliques in high school. Over on the far right of the gym were the weight lifting machines. There were a few girls, some jocks, and bigger men who weren't really in shape. Then, in the middle of the gym were the elliptical machines and they were all in use because it was six in the morning; a very busy time for the YMCA, apparently. Guys didn't seem to use the ellipticals, it was mostly women who were watching the TV's across the room on the walls. Although there was no music playing, almost all of the people in the gym had headphones.

The popular spot in the gym was the treadmills, located on the farthest wall facing the windows. I guess it might be the view, although all you could see were the Mount Vernon streets. Some of the people were going at full speed while others were just getting a brisk walk to start their day. I guess the busy atmosphere does help people wake up because I was wide awake after ten minutes of being there. There were two women who were talking about their boyfriends going out this weekend as they ran on the elliptical. Most of the women at the gym were dressed in yoga pants and slim fitting tops. There were three semi-fit men who were seeing who could lift more. The guys in the gym had cut-offs and gym shorts, the typical gym attire for men.

My second visit was on a Wednesday at eleven in the morning. There were not many people there, and the trainers were just standing around. I guess that many people did not think it was worth there time to come get sweaty at the gym on their break. You could blame it on laziness or the fact that a lot of people just don't have time. The room seemed very bare as I noticed the huge white walls. There were a lot less machines than I thought I had saw on Monday. Some people were located at stations that I hadn't noticed before. Yoga mats were laid on the floor with dumbbells next to them at the sides of the gym.

There was a major difference in my first and second visit to the YMCA. At my first visit there was a busy