Women are more concerned about their health and fitness. They are the gender who will most likely visit the doctor if they feel something different about their bodies. They are honest with their doctors, and they open up about how they physically feel. Women learned at an early age the importance of taking care of their health because they menstruate. Their parents take them to a gynecologist early in their teenage years because girls have to understand how their bodies work.
But here’s the irony of it all: men spend more time in the gym than women. Whereas women can work out in the public park or at home, men often find themselves in gyms. They spend an inordinate amount of time with strength training and muscle buildup training.
Women tend to be more flexible with their workouts. They like cardio training as much as men, but they’re also into gymnastics. That’s why you will often find women who want to lose weight and improve their flexibility in a gymnastic club. They also do yoga and meditation. In short, women are more holistic in their approach to fitness. They do physical and mental training, as well as cardio and strength.
What Motivates Men?
Men and women differ in their sources of motivation for working out in the gym. You don’t see women rushing to go to the gym because they’re mostly intimidated by the idea of working out in a room full of testosterone. Men always have an agenda when working out. They have a goal that they’re working to fulfill. For most of the time, there’s even a number involved. For example, they want to be able to carry 50 kilos in weight in three months.
They also tend to enjoy the gym more than women do. Men see the gym as some sort of sport. They go there because it is fun for them. They are also competitive in the gym. Often, you will see men trying to outdo others in the gym. They’re always trying to upstage those who can lift heavier weights. This competition in the room is what fuels them to get up every day and spend more than two hours each day in the gym.
For women, fitness has a more superficial meaning. They do it because they want to look good. When women gain weight, you will often hear them talking about going to the gym to exercise. That is their motivation—to look good. Men have it another way. They actually enjoy the process.
Another thing that motivates men is they want how they look when they’re sweating it out in the gym. You will rarely find women who like how they look when they are all sweaty. Certainly, you won’t hear them praising their jiggling cellulite in front of the mirror. For men, the sweatier, the better.
What Do Men Do in the Gym?
Men mostly want to build and tone their muscles. They are more concerned about improving their physique than their mental health. When they are in the gym, they go straight to the weights room after warming up. Some of them don’t even bother with cardio exercises such as running on the treadmill or trying on the ladder step machine. Certainly, you won’t see them on the dance floor for Zumba, aerobics, cycling, or any other kinds of exercises that don’t have anything to do with carrying weights.
Then there are the women in the gym, who have a more holistic approach when it comes to fitness. They do the whole routine—from warming up to cardio exercises to strength conditioning to core strengthening to cooling down. During fitness classes, you will find them in a separate room doing Zumba and pilates. Many of them are in a dance class together. For women, going to the gym is a way to bond with their friends. Men might have the same idea, but their fitness goals are much more pronounced.
But the Future Is Different
The future, of course, will be different. Women are now into weightlifting, too. They are even participating in greater numbers than before. So the fact that men are spending more time in the gym right now may not stay that way for too long. There will be more women in the gym in a few years’ time. In fact, men just might find their positions in the gym being usurped by women. But for now, men will continue to spend more time in their “kingdom,” building their muscles and improving their core strength.
No matter the difference in their preferences, both genders benefit from spending time in the gym. They are aware of the health benefits of exercising, so they are bound to take better care of themselves. This, in turn, makes for a healthier community.
