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American Council on Exercise Asks 1,500 Web Site Visitors:
What Keeps You From Going To The Gym? 46 Percent Of Respondents Say Overcrowded Gyms Are #1 Reason They Stay Away

Posted: Oct 04, 2004 in

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Oct. 4, 2004 – We have good intentions of going to the gym on a regular basis to stay in shape, but many of us don’t even make if through the front doors. What is it we are avoiding by not going to the gym? The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s non-profit fitness advocate, recently polled over 1,500 Web site visitors posing the question “What keeps you from going to the gym?”

“Your choice in a gym should be a carefully considered decision in order to maximize your membership,” said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “Be sure to do your homework and find a facility that meets your specific needs and fits your personality and lifestyle. The type of health club you select can have a profound impact on how well you adhere to your fitness program.”

The results are in:

• 46 percent of Web site visitors say they don’t go to the gym because it’s too crowded
• 21 percent say they don’t go because they don’t know what they’re doing
• 19 percent feel they’ll be the only one who isn’t “buff” or already in good shape
• 11 percent say rude gym etiquette keeps them from going (i.e., not wiping off a machine after a cardio workout or not letting others work in on a weight machine)
• 3 percent said they’re afraid to ask questions

ACE offers several tips to help you achieve your fitness goals when an overcrowded gym keeps you away.

• Head to the gym when there may not be as many people around. For example, early in the morning or at lunch
• Consider taking your fitness routine outside by running, walking or bike riding
• For strength training at home, use household items like soup cans or your own body weight to work major muscle groups
• Try working out to an exercise video or CD

Check out ACE’s Fit Fact™ “How to Choose a Health Club” at www.acefitness.org/fitfacts/fitfacts_display.cfm?itemid=111.

About ACE
The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s Authority on Fitness, is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. As the nation’s “workout watchdog,” ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and testing that targets fitness products and trends. ACE sets standards for fitness professionals and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE Web site at www.acefitness.org.