Return of the Resolutionistas: Gym Regulars, Welcome Them!

While I am by no means a "fitness elitist", I am a regular throughout the year at a few gyms. As a spinning instructor and a regular, I've integrated myself in the subtle patterns of those people with whom I share the gym at the various gyms I visit.

There's 'cardio-man' who does only cardio and a helluva lot of it; the very thin (and quiet) schoolteacher who runs a 10K every day on the same treadmill; the neanderthal weightlifters who throw around weights while struggling (with bad form) to do squats; the loud guys in the locker room who dissect every set of their interminable Master's (swimming) workouts. These have been my gym companions throughout the year.

Although we are not friends outside of the gym, we generally acknowledge each other inside with a nod and a courteous "how's it going?"

That is, until the inevitable arrival in January of the "resolutionistas." Every gym regular can recognize a resolutionista: The overweight and out of shape person who, having resolved to "get in shape", comes to the gym beginning in January (generally with the newest fashions and footwear) and wreaks havoc with the intricate choreography the regulars have worked out over the past ten months.

Most regulars eschew the resolutionistas, looking down on them as dilletantes who won't last long. Resolutionistas are like replacement troops: The troops who have been with a combat unit for a while generally never bothered getting to know or befriend replacement troops, figuring they'd soon be gone (dead or transferred).

In the experience of regulars, it takes about a month for the resolutionistas to abandon their get-in-shape vow whereupon we regulars resume our workout patterns. Most regulars just avoid the resolutionistas--in fact, some of the regulars I know don't even go to the gym in January because it's overcrowded with neophytes.

In the past, I've steered clear of the resolutionistas, ignoring them and their efforts to get in shape. I've come to realize that this laissez-faire attitude may be part of the reason the resolutionistas give up.

This year, I'm adopting a different attitude.

This year, I resolve to say hello to every person I don't recognize as a regular. I'll introduce myself as a spinning instructor. When I see someone new at the gym whose form might be off or who is doing something that could endanger their physical health, I'll offer a kind hint or suggestion. I'll be encouraging, warm and welcoming.

I hope my positive attitude enhances a newbies' commitment to follow through on their resolution to get in shape.

If you're a gym regular, I encourage you to welcome a resolutionista to your gym. After all, there's room in the gym for all of us.