Going to the gym used to be straightforward. You would go to the gym, you would work out, and you would leave the gym. It’s that simple! Nowadays going to the gym seems to be more of a show than ever. From going to the gym in full makeup to having a wardrobe only for their gym gear. The gym is now all about selfies and looking good!
I’m not the only that has come to notice that. Gym and fitness club t-shirt printing specialists Buytshirtsonline recently surveyed 1,770 gym going UK folk to find out what their gym perceptions truly are. You can find the full survey here – http://www.buytshirtsonline.co.uk/gym-perception-study/ but keep reading the rest of the post for the top excerpts from the study.
Gymgoers Motivation to Look Good at the Gym
We didn’t have to look far to discover people’s motivation for wanting to look good at the gym, as 84% of respondents confessed to taking selfies while ‘working out’. Over 1/3 (37%) of gym-lovers wouldn’t hesitate to share their gym progress on social media.
Exercising in front of a mirror is personal preference, and although sometimes it can’t be avoided, over half (54%) of people asked admitted to working out in front of the mirror while at the gym. Various factors influence gym-goers to look at themselves while exercising such as refining technique and posture, but do all gym-goers think the same? Or are they more inclined to ensure they look good rather than exercise correctly?
It’s not just the young people that have been stricken by self-importance, as the survey revealed 60% of the over 35’s also want to look their best while working out.
The Importance of Looking Good!
Over in Northern Ireland, a staggering 83% of gym-enthusiasts believe looking good during a workout is essential.
Gym members today love to accessorise with 40% of respondents claiming to own specified gym gear and perceive them as ‘cool’. 34% of gym-goers admitted to always buying new gym gear.
Why did you join the gym?
When asked the main reason for joining the gym, it’s no big surprise that the most popular reasons included strength and muscle building (32%), weight loss (23%) and to maintain a healthy lifestyle (23%). When comparing ages, 67% of the over 45’s will go to the gym to stay healthy; 40% of 18-24-year olds joined the gym to build muscle and strength; 30% of 25-34-year olds’ goal is losing weight.
Almost half of the respondents (44%) admitted that their body image had prevented them from exercising. This number was higher amongst females (53%) and 32% of males shared the same anxieties. 20% feel self-conscious about sweating during a workout. Which, if you think about it, shouldn’t be the case.
The gym should be a place where we go to work on our fitness regimens, in my opinion. Sure, it’s great to think about looking good if it helps our self-esteem or if it may improve our productivity in the gym. Maybe, just maybe, if we focused more on
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