The new year is upon us, and the temperature is dropping fast. You may not want to leave your apartment, but there is one place you're going to want to start going—the gym.
Forbes' New Year's resolutions are in for 2024, and in a poll taken of 1000 US adults, almost half ranked improving fitness as their number one resolution.
Although joining a gym is of course an effective way to work on your fitness, there are so many other benefits for mental and physical health that you can reap by signing up. And in the cold season, these become even more crucial. Let's see why winter is the perfect time to take that leap and get yourself a gym membership.
Social Life & Community
Winter is known as the lonely season as people tend to stay indoors more and socialize less. This often happens because the shorter days and colder weather make it more difficult for people to go out.
Unfortunately, this can worsen symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder and bring about an increased sense of isolation for many. One way to combat the winter loneliness is by joining a local gym.
Signing up for a gym is a great way to give yourself an excuse to leave the house that isn't work-related. It gives you a sense of purpose and structure because you have somewhere to be every day (or however often you'd like to go) that is solely for improving your health or personal life.
The gym provides a social atmosphere and something you can look forward to each day. While it can be difficult to make plans and socialize during the cold season, the gym is always open and reliable.
Plus, the gym offers a wonderful community of fitness enthusiasts of all levels, and who doesn't need a little community to get through those dark winter days and nights?
Indoor Activities
Another reason to join a gym this winter is the access to plenty of indoor activities. With the temperature declining across the US, it's difficult to find activities you can take part in outdoors. Luckily, gyms are, for the most part, fully indoors, which makes for tons of fitness activities you can try during the cold months.
In almost any gym you'll find the basics like treadmills and bikes for cardio, plus weight rooms for strength training. But many gyms offer a plethora of additional activities you can try to keep busy during those winter months.
In many gyms, you'll find group fitness classes and recreational areas like swimming pools and basketball courts. Top gyms like Equinox even offer an impressive range of activities like rock climbing and squash.
Finally, many gyms also offer other amenities like saunas and steam rooms. These are especially appealing during the cold months and provide a relaxing and enjoyable way to begin or end your day.
For the health benefits of heat therapy, check out our article here.
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Improve Happiness
It's nothing new that exercise can make people happier. According to a 2018 study published in The Journal of Happiness Studies, there's a direct link between exercise and improving happiness.
Since people tend to experience mood changes in the winter, this makes the season the perfect time to start focusing on your fitness, and what better way than to join a gym? The gym provides more than just exercise. Focusing on your health, having access to a community, and making social connections can all help you feel happier too.
Incorporating the gym into your routine will likely make you feel happier and more alive, and hopefully stave off some of those winter blues.
Form Good Habits
The new year is the perfect time to adopt healthy habits, and exercising consistently is one that can definitely elevate your lifestyle. And although it's totally feasible to get your exercise in at home, joining a gym can make this habit much more achievable for many.
A gym provides a designated space and structure to get your consistent physical activity in and will make it easier to hold yourself accountable and follow through.
Starting to exercise consistently can be challenging if it's something you're not accustomed to, but being a member of a gym can alleviate many of the challenges. You can join a gym with a friend as a shared activity, or make new friends once you start.
A gym provides a motivational atmosphere—it's easier to exercise when everyone around you is doing it. And despite a stigma of intimidation for beginners, the gym is often a very welcoming and inclusive space.
This can help make exercising something you can actually look forward to. And as they say, one healthy habit leads to another. Joining the gym may spark other healthy habits such as optimizing your nutrition and staying hydrated.
Boost Immunity
A final reason to join the gym during cold season is that exercise helps keep your immunity up. Winter is that time of year when at least five people you know are sniffling at all times, and you don't want to be next. One way you can help keep your body strong and prevent infection is through consistent exercise.
Studies have shown that regular moderate exercise reduces risk of infection when compared with a sedentary lifestyle. Joining a gym is an easy way to get regular exercise in and keep your body feeling its best, even through cold and flu season.
Take Home Message
All in all, there are loads of benefits to joining a gym. With the new year in motion and the cold keeping you indoors, there's no better time to get down to the gym.
Try out the gym this season and see how it can make your winter a little more exciting. You got this.
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A Rutgers University Honors graduate, Jamie grew up on the Jersey shore and double majored in Comparative Literature and Anthropology in college. Jamie is an experienced writer in the health and wellness, biotech, and eCommerce fields. She loves writing with a purpose and has even written for the Department of Justice.
Jamie became drawn to exercise during her time in university and began to notice the physical and mental benefits of moving your body daily. Today, Jamie enjoys Pilates, light weight training, and going on long walks in nature daily.
Jamie is also passionate about eating right and prioritizing gut health and immunity. She is always trying the next innovation in health and wellness. When she’s not writing articles, Jamie enjoys reading, playing guitar, and finding dogs to play with.
