Not a Weekend Warrior

If you work out at WAC as frequently as I do Monday through Friday, we’ve probably crossed paths by the free weights, struck Warrior II next to each other in yoga, or clenched teeth in the same spin class. But if you hit the gym on the weekends, it’s likely we will never meet. My weekends and working out do not mix.

There are lots of reasons excuses the gym doesn’t fit into my weekend lifestyle. One is that during the week, I tend to be very productive at work, at the gym, and in other obligations. By the time the weekend hits, I just want to take it easy. Also, WAC is close to my job, so I can easily swing by before or after work. But it’s not so close to home, making it an inconvenient stop on weekends. Also, let’s not forget my weekend night love of wine. And my greatest weekend weakness, the Bloody Mary — hey there’s tomato juice, it’s healthy! Winey nights and boozy brunches have a negative influence on my gym attendance.

But I’m trying to change all of the above and hit the gym one day per weekend. I figure I can dedicate at least 30 minutes of my 55 weekend hours (the fun starts Friday at 5 p.m., of course!) to exercise. Burning off the weekend calories is only part of it. I find when I am more active, I eat better because I’m craving healthier foods. And if I have a date with the gym in the morning, I’ll take it easy on the wine the night before.

Incorporating gym time into my weekend schedule sounds a lot easier in theory than it is in action. When the weather is cruddy, it’s hard to drag myself from my cozy apartment to the chilly outdoors in the valiant effort of breaking a sweat. One helpful tactic has been to expand my membership to another club. I’m now a member at WPAC, which is closer to home and makes it harder to make excuses to ditch on the weekends.

The GymPact app is also helping. If I commit to attending the gym 6 days a week through the app, I’m more likely to follow through. If I’ve made it to the gym 5 out of 6 days by the weekend, it’s easier to keep the momentum going and stick to my pact for one more day.

Lastly, and probably the most effective way to keep my attendance on the weekend more consistent, is to find a class I like or a gym buddy to attend with. WPAC does have a jump rope class on Sunday at 10:30 taught by Raquel, which I enjoy because it’s a bit different than most classes I’ve gone to. If I can commit to a longer class, I like Gaelyn’s WPAC spin class on Sundays at 10. I’ve also been talking to someone in my boot camp class about Sunday spin class. If I know she’s going to be there, I don’t want to let her down and will certainly drag myself out so she doesn’t have to spin alone.

Really, after all this, there’s no excuse to skip the gym on Saturdays and Sundays. I just have to DO it! See you there this weekend!

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Betsy Mikel | betsymikel.com