5 Totally Valid Reasons You Shouldn’t Exercise

The gym is for everyone right? It can sure feel that way. If you’re not going out and exercising then you clearly don’t care much for your health. Of course, this is a slightly short-sighted view and doesn’t take into account the complex and diverse range of human wants and needs. Sometimes, the gym isn’t necessary, other times it can actually be a bad idea.

Procrastination isn’t one of the reasons, so if you thought you could get fit and strong by not exercising, I have no magic pill for you. The reasons you might want to consider spending your time away from weights and treadmills are nicely summed up in a post from Breaking Muscles Eric Stevens.?It includes the obvious excuse of being injured, and the not so obvious problems of simply disliking the gym or being in the wrong tribe:

4. You?re in the Wrong Tribe or Don?t Have One

There tend to be two types of exercisers – lone wolves and pack animals. Both can be problematic if you don?t surround yourself with the right people. While exercise is a personal journey and there?s certainly nothing wrong with going on a nice trail run or bike ride on your own, life does come down to people. Support matters, and if you?re hanging around the wrong people or not hanging out with any, you?re most likely not getting the support you need.

According to a study from the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, people who exercise with a partner or a group are ?more likely to stay on track.? Additionally, new science suggests that for some people group exercise may trigger the same pleasant chemical response associated with things like laughter and dancing.

I’m sure that for 90% of us, the gym is a good thing, and when used right can be both enjoyable and immensely effective in helping us reach our goals. For the other 10%, forcing yourself into the exercise routine when it’s not a good idea can be anything but beneficial, and often do more harm. Read the rest of the post to find out what the right and wrong situations are.