An Introvert Goes Back to the Gym During a Pandemic

What has become weird used to be normal, and what is now normal used to be weird. Things seem weirder now than when things were locked down. As an introvert, I was totally fine with nobody being on the road when I went out, and expanded personal space bubbles. As things are opening up and the things we used to do before the pandemic are coming back, life seems weirder than it ever was before.

I recently decided to venture out into this strange world so I don’t get weird, or flabby, and as such I decided to hit the gym.

I hadn’t actually been to the gym for my workout since the first time it was shut-down completely near the beginning of the pandemic. And when the gym re-opened with limited capacity and lots of rules for entry into the facility — including booking a workout ahead of time — I delayed my membership and didn’t go. It wasn’t out of laziness, or lack of motivation. It was that I found other ways to work out that were much more convenient to do and still get a great workout. Also, being an introvert, not only did I not mind working out by myself, but I preferred it.

Dealing with other people is one thing. Dealing with other people in the gym during a pandemic and lots of extra rules, was too much. And if it were going to be this hard on an on-going basis, I would ask myself if it was worth it to go.

There may have been times in my past working-out life when I got comfortable on my couch and didn’t want to go out to the gym, but I could…