Catch 22: Exercising to Avoid Temptation

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So, school has started back up recently for me. And that has brought an increase of stress, and I’ve been wanting to start exercising to help me from falling to sexual temptation as much because of the stress. The problem is, I can’t think of a place where I could exercise where people aren’t dressed immodestly enough that it might be a near occasion of sin for me anyways.

I can’t go to the Recreation Center on campus, I can’t go to any pool to swim, I couldn’t run on any path where most people run, I couldn’t go to a gym, my apartment complex has a place that I’m not too hopeful about… and my apartment is too small for me to really do anything here.

Surely some of you can relate to this problem.

It seems so many people dress immodestly when they work out, that there’s nowhere where people work out that I’d want to go… because most of them have their shirts off or are scantily clad.

I personally wear a baggy undershirt and athletic shorts which go down almost to my knees; and I keep those on until I get home to take a shower. [ie: I don’t look flattering when I work out… so why does almost everyone else?]

However, I’m convinced the vast majority of people my age are only working out to have sex anyways… so it’s probably pretty logical for them to view the place where they work out as a place to look for people to have sex with.

Well, I want to work out so I can master my sexuality, to help me live purely!!! But, it seems like every fitness/ athletic place where I could work out is only going to be a stumbling block and not an asset in my efforts to live purely.

Does anyone have this problem? More importantly does anyone have a solution? Thanks
 
If you can lie down on the floor in your apartment you can do burpees, pushups, crunches & prone holds!

A Burpee in case you don’t know what it is

  1. *]Stand up straight
    *]Drop down into a squat
    *]Kick your legs out quickly into the push up position
    *]Bring your legs back into a squat
    *]Jump up into the air
    *] Go back to step 2

    Do as many as you can for a minute for each of the 4 exercises with a 1 minute rest at the end.

    Do 6 circuits and there’s a half hour work out that will definitely help

    Also if your apartment has stairs run from the bottom to the top. Also rotate around running up every step to every second step each pass.

    Do that for half an hour

    There’s 1 hour of work out not needing a gym and it will definitely de-stress and help avoid annoying over-sexualised workout environments
 
To be honest, I’ve been in your shoes. I went to the room in my apartment complex when no one was in there, and when i would go run I would try to avert my eyes from other people. I don’t work out now because although I went into it with the same intentions you are I started to become fairly vain and obsessed with working out. I’m not saying it’s bad, but our world doesn’t want you to stay modest, so be careful.

The absolute best defense against sexual temptation is prayer and mortification. Practice self-denial on a daily basis, even when it’s something really small. And as always, beseach Our Lady to help you with everything.
 
You could also try working out in front of a mirror to check that your form while doing such things as weights and machines is perfect.

I’m a retired professional ballet dancer, and every day I practiced for a few hours in a studio, with men, and we were all clad in form-fitting wear. Sometimes, if I was going to be performing a dance with a male dancer, we rehearsed together. And depending on the choreography, we had to touch each other in some places (e.g., thigh, torso) where if someone touched me in those places on the street, I’d call the cops.

However, we were focused on executing the steps, achieving a good line, and staying on the music. It was very technical and asexual.

But back to the mirror: We were slaves to that mirror. We were riveted to it, trying to make sure that our knees were absolutely straight, our arms were placed so and not an inch of deviation, we didn’t notice others in the room. We were so focused on trying for perfection with each exercise, I think Godzilla could have come in wearing a purple tutu and pirouetted across the floor, and some of us MIGHT have noticed that there was a new dancer in company class!

You should be able to maintain custody of the eyes and mental focus on what you are doing or what you are meditating about. It really isn’t that difficult.

Slotty also has some good suggestions for exercising in a limited space. Alternatively, you could get some hand weights or even an exercise bike, and do some working out while you are watching TV in the evening. I get cardio in on days when I don’t swim by grabbing a couple of light hand weights and marching in place in front of the TV while I watch the news. Heck, I can even do a full ballet barre (the first forty-five minutes of class) in my kitchen using the counter for light balance control! Crunches, six to nineties, pushups, squats, leg thrusts, are all examples of exercises which do not take up much room at all.
 
you can do burpees, pushups, crunches & prone holds!

A Burpee in case you don’t know what it is

*]Stand up straight
*]Drop down into a squat
*]Kick your legs out quickly into the push up position
*]Bring your legs back into a squat
*]Jump up into the air
*] Go back to step 2

Do as many as you can for a minute for each of the 4 exercises with a 1 minute rest at the end.

Do 6 circuits and there’s a half hour work out that will definitely help

Also if your apartment has stairs run from the bottom to the top. Also rotate around running up every step to every second step each pass.

Do that for half an hour

There’s 1 hour of work out not needing a gym and it will definitely de-stress and help avoid annoying over-sexualised workout environments

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Welcome Slotty! is that an Aussie nick-name for something?😃
may God bless you for your wonderful common sense answer!
We will look forward to “seeing” you again around here!👍

JMJ
Deb​

" Wherever two or more are gathered together in prayer, there will I
be with them." (loosley translated)😉
 
Find a place to exercise where other people are either not there, or not exercising. For example, if you live in a downtown, a very tall building will have a nice set of endless stairs and the users will be in office clothes.

One barbell will fit under your bed. You’d have to use a low weight, but I used to have one in my apartment. I had to stand in the right orientation in my living room to use it.
 
Where I currently live I’m in a “similar” situation, although not quite. I love swimming for exercise and joined a gym with a pool for that reason, so after working out I’d go and swim. I really thought that as the pool was part of the gym complex there would not be the problem of being ogled while wearing swimming gear (my gym clothes include a big baggy T-shirt, but that is not practical for swimming). Sadly I gave up my gym membership as there was no pleasure swimming while being “harassed” by some of the guy members.

Eventually solved my need for regular exercise by buying the WiiFit programme which suits me admirably; it does not need much space to use, no one else sees me, I get my regular work out at a time and in a place that suits me.

Along with the excellent suggestions from Slotty and Pug, this is another possible solution. May you find a way to exercise regularly.
 
What forms of exercise do you enjoy?
could you cycle or run in public… on the street or in a park?

Would you have less problems there?

Could you take up similar other forms of exercise that is carried out where people are traditionally more covered up…
Hillwalking, rock-climbing, ballroom dancing these are areas where I have exercised in the past.

Ballroom dancing and some forms of Latin dancing are strictly done with opposite sex couples… (or occasionally 2 women as there are often a shortage of men). The dress code tends to be quite formal in competition and display, and quite covered up in practice and workout sessions. Such could be very helpful if SSA is a major area of temptation for you.
It’s very intensive, aerobic exercise which builds core body strength, balance and stamina.
A practice session is often 2 - 3 hours long. Lessons are typically 30 - 60 minutes.
But for even the most practised and fit dancers, a competition style “Jive” dance will leave you exhausted after just 60 seconds. (much like a 100 meter sprint).
On the down side, most forms of dancing, including ballroom, do attract a higher than average number of young “Gay” men. so you wont be avoiding meeting men who are active in the “Gay Lifestyle”

As a straight man I must admit I found the opposite… Dancing was a form of exercise where I was much more sexually aware of the women around me than at the Gym or swimming pool. - And found myself fighting inappropriate attractions, and also occasionally trying to fend off flirtation from one inappropriate girl(far too young for me… and I was already engaged and off the market) .
 
Gyms are places where we work on our bodies, so in that respect it’s understandable that people dress, and comport themselves, in ways that focus on their bodies. That’s their preoccupation, when they’re at the gym.

But, working out at the gym should be a self-focused activity. We are there to work on ourselves, primarily through physical discipline, but also mental (we need to focus on what we’re doing, and have the mental fortitude to meet the goals we set for ourselves), AND spiritual (from making sure we clean the machines properly to making sure that our behaviour matches our goals–including not leering at other people). If you can get into a focused head-space, you will not be so bothered by what other people are doing.

Wearing the brown scapular could be another useful tool to help you work out in the presence of others. (I personally don’t wear mine in the gym, but maybe with a plastic covering, or by having separate ones, for workouts and elsewhere, you could keep it hygienic.) Insofar as you are aware of wearing it, it should refocus you on God and help you resist temptation. Insofar as others notice you wearing it, it may help them to refocus their own priorities, and/or make them aware that there is a better way to live ones life, that they perhaps did not know about.
 
Ok, I’ve read all your responses. And I’m still not entirely sure what to do.

I don’t think I’ll be able to do any major execrize stuff where I live. But, I think I’m going to get a set of 10lb free weights. And I feel like I’ll at least be able to use those at home.

And, I’ll admit that I have avoided the gym and pools like the plague. So, it’s not like I’ve gone their and found it hard not to concentrate on just what I’m doing and not on others’ appearances. I think I’m going to rule out the gym. But, I think once I’m swimming in the pool I won’t notice anyone anyways. I’ll be too busy swimming. And when I’m done I’ll dry off and go straight for my car and leave.

Hopefully I’ll do both of these things this week. And hopefully it goes smoothly.

I guess just pray for an increase in modesty in society in general. It needs it.
 
ssa_fellow said:
Hopefully I’ll do both of these things this week. And hopefully it goes smoothly.
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Good Luck! 👍

I know weights can do their job, even if used in the home and with light weights. I still have an 8 pound pair under my radiator. I can see them covered in dust from where I am sitting. (The dust isn’t much of an advertisement, but never fear, the reason I stopped is medical, not that they didn’t work. Weights always did more for me than aerobics.)
 
When are you working out?

I’ve never noticed the 5-6am crowd to be caught up in looks.

Do you have any Muslim or Jewish friends who may know of a gym with male/female only hours?
However, I’m convinced the vast majority of people my age are only working out to have sex anyways… so it’s probably pretty logical for them to view the place where they work out as a place to look for people to have sex with.
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This… must be particular to your region. I’ve never even had the idea cross my mind. That’s very sad.
 
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