Why indoor fitness and gyms just don't make sense

The funny thing about what gyms are nowadays and how they started out is that there is a real separation.

The first ever gym was designed as a project to look at social interaction and motivational impact of friends and family being mustered in one place and encouraged to engage and participate in activity. That was the sole intention of the very first gym. So, bearing that in mind, can we honestly say that the gyms of today share the same values and ethics?

Certainly not in my experience. A few observations of my own would be that:

• They are loud, most people have headphones in and often anti-social. Despite many gyms being packed at peak times, they can often be very lonely places which can cause increased levels of cortisol, increasing fat storage and decreasing the benefits of exercise
• Most gyms are clad with mirrors. The intention is clear, to help people montior and improve form and posture through movement. However, the result is that many people distort their own form to keep looking at what they're doing in the mirror which can't possibly assist their technique. In addition, mirrors often cause people to feel self conscious which can then result in the above mentioned release of cortisol.
• Gyms are filled with machines built by engineers, not biomechanical or physiological specialists. Most gym machines result in distorted patterns of the body as it is forced to work around levers, pulleys and devices which tend to isolate muscle groups. The body is a single unit and should be conditioned in that way. Not all machines are bad but generally speaking, resistance machines may produce that short term muscular fatigue and burn but long term, they can produce imbalanced function, weak core stability and poor muscular firing technique
• Gyms are another air-conditioned environment that we force ourselves into. You only need to look at the rising levels of asthma and respiratory disorders to understand that some habits of modern living are doing nothing for our breathing function. The body isn't designed as a creature that is bound by four walls yet we, as a civilisation are spending more time than ever indoors. When exercising, our immune function is more susceptible to infection with our defence barriers being lowered and re-conditioned air is horrible for carrying airborne infection and disease. This just doesn't add up does it. A good dose of fresh air cannot be over-praised for it's immediate benefits to the body, internal and external.
• Exercise should be fun - I'm taking a gamble on this one as I really don't frequent gyms - the only time I do is when we deliver our courses. However, I'm going to suggest that for many, the whole gym experience isn't that much fun. From my last visit, I visibly remember seeing people that looked sad, de-motivated or even aggresive in their approach to exercise. Come to think of it, it's no wonder why - with all the confusing messages within the health industry, the image focussed media and the constant re-invention of 'what's good and what's bad', their annoyance is understandable.

So, what's the solution - well, it is of course, get outside. Whether it's walking, jogging, climbing a hill or joining an outdoor exercise group, being outdoors will by far and away benefit your body in ways that far superceed being bound indoors.