I hear it all the time: “Will you be my workout buddy?” No, no I will not.
I confess, I’m a little on the antisocial side and my gym time is “me” time. It’s the one thing I do for myself and myself only. And for that two hours or so I like to be focused and in tune with my body. Not that there’s anything wrong with an exercise buddy, especially if you’re more of a social butterfly.
Having someone to hold you accountable, keep you from being bored, and maybe even push you harder than you would push yourself are a few of the benefits of having a workout partner. So if that works for you, then by all means, partner up.
On top of being a loner, I don’t like to depend on anyone but myself. I don’t want someone else to be my motivation to go to the gym. What if they cancel? Would that be just too good of an excuse for me to skip as well? And I want to be able to count on myself to push harder on those high-intensity days. Besides, working out with a friend usually ends up being much more about catching up than catching my breath.
Even though I choose to go it alone, there seems to always be someone who goes to the gym strictly to visit. I go to the gym to work my body, not my vocal cords. Personally, I think socializing should be done over coffee or cocktails, not the cable machine. Don’t get me wrong; I’m more than happy to chat before a group class, or even have a walking date at the Riverwalk. I just don’t need to hear your life story when I’m beet-red, sweaty, smelly, and struggling to leg press 405 pounds 30 times.
Unfortunately, every gym has that Chatty Cathy or Talkative Tony who does way more socializing than working out. So, I have a few tried and true tactics to steer clear of the dreaded free therapy session.
n The first line of defense: headphones. Put them in even if you’re not listening to your music. This usually does the trick although I have had to say, “Sorry, I can’t hear you because, as you can see, I have my headphones in.” I mean, duh.
n Don’t make eye contact. Don’t scan the room. And don’t stand idly about. Just stay focused on what you’re doing. If accidental eye contact does occur, smile or nod quickly and then move right along.
n Never ever under any circumstances initiate conversation. Once you make that mistake it will never end and there’s no going back.
n If all else fails, you may just have to lay down the law. It’s perfectly fine to say, “I really need to focus,” or “Sorry, I can’t talk right now,” (politely and with a sweet Southern smile, of course.) Remember he/she is the one being rude, not you.
Leah Sullivan of Columbus has been on a productive journey to a healthier lifestyle and shares some of her experiences with readers. Follow {Nourish} on Facebook.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.