While my friends and I are members at the same local gym, until very recently, we’d never exercised together.
We live in different parts of the city and work different types of jobs with schedules that don’t coordinate.
I usually visit the gym extremely early in the morning. My friend Susan completes her workout during her lunch break while Tina stops on her way home from work in the evening. A little over six months ago, my friends and I decided to sign up for a group fitness class together. It was offered on a Sunday morning. An aerobic class sounded fun and fit into all of our schedules. The initial class revealed that my friends and I approach our fitness goals very differently. Susan and Tina both stood at the back of the class and talked the whole time. I prefer to be toward the front where I can better see and hear instruction. While my friends barely completed the exercises, I tried to excel at each one. By the conclusion of the class, I was dripping sweat, red in the face and breathing hard. Susan and Tina weren’t sweaty. They didn’t even need a shower. They both were eager to go out for pizza and cocktails afterward. I was not happy about wasting the effort of the class for the sake of alcohol and empty calories. The following week, I chose to stand at the front of the class. My friends stayed in the back. They socialized for an hour. I maximized the benefits of the class. I enjoyed the professional instruction. I’ve come to the conclusion that I should never workout with Susan and Tina.