Is it wise to go to the gym?

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edjlopez23

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So I have some scrupulosity and there are four things that bother me from signing up for gym membership that may sound paranoid.
There will probably be immodest advertisements in the televisions every now and then.
The loud radio music playing in the gym has a chance of playing sexual songs. Hopefully nothing explicit.
The naked diagrams of muscles. Not so bad since it’s purpose to show targeted muscles being trained.
The chance of seeing immodest gym members.

I need to go out more and work on my fitness but I was wondering if its wise for a catholic to sign up for a gym. I could just avoid watching immodest advertisements and listen to my MP3 player to avoid the sinful secular world.
 
If your suffer from scruples go to a therapist so that you can deal and then be free to enjoy the fitness the gym is intended for.
 
Even though I have some scrupulosity, I just want affirmation that I’m not putting myself to occasion of sin or if I would be technically.
 
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Scruples. Saying it’s not bad doesn’t mean it’s not bad. The gym is for exercise, Not for you to ponder who is trying to get you to sin.
See the help of your priest or pastor.
God bless you.
 
You seem to be well-guarded against potential temptations at the gym, but rest assured that working out there is safe, there is no necessary near occasion of sin you need fear. God placed us in the world, and, unfortunately, immodesty and the glorification of sin around us and in society is an aspect of our fallen world that we must encounter. It may be dangerous if you know yourself to be particularly at risk of falling into sin when faced with the sorts of things you describe, but based on your post, I would say the primary concern here is that you could allow your fear to keep you from good health. Sometimes, it’s easy to focus so much on not being of the world, that we forget to be in it. But God placed you here, in this world and in this society, for a purpose, and he will protect you wherever he sends you. Have courage, and be not afraid!
 
You might as well ask if it is wise to go grocery shopping in the summer time or to go to the doctor’s office, for you could encounter all these things in those places as well.

Certainly, we want to do our best not to place ourselves in situations where we are likely to sin, but that doesn’t mean we can just wall ourselves away from anything and everything.
 
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I have a different issue with the gym. It’s okay to get fit and have strong muscles, but make sure you use those muscles to help people out, ie. mow lawns, shovel snow, help people move. You don’t have to necessarily do everything for free, but it’s really sad to see strong men not using their strength in useful ways.
 
edjlopez23 said:
There will probably be immodest advertisements in the televisions every now and then.
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It’s hard to avoid screens no matter where you are.
edjlopez23 said:
The loud radio music playing in the gym has a chance of playing sexual songs. Hopefully nothing explicit.
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There’s a solution to that–get earbuds! You can listen to your own music–or maybe use them as earplugs. 😎
edjlopez23 said:
The naked diagrams of muscles. Not so bad since it’s purpose to show targeted muscles being trained.
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Most gyms I’ve been in have very basic line drawings or maybe something more medical in appearance, like what you’d see in a doctor’s office.
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The chance of seeing immodest gym members.
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Yes, there’s a risk of that. Not much you can do except turn it into a motivation to stay focused on your own work.

I’ve been going to gyms and fitness centers almost continuously since I was 18 and I’m almost 51.
 
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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.”
One of the great quotes from Mark Rippetoe, a well-known weight training coach. And also one of the few that is work-family-CAF safe. 😉
 
You can dress modest (aka baggy clothes) and wear ear plugs. Let’s be honest we are subjected to all sorts of stuff every time we open TV or go check the internet.
I would we be weary of using their showers though. If you own a car and druve to it, apart for the shoes I would change in advance also.
 
Please seek help from a Priest/Therapist for your scrupulosity. It is very obviously imprisoning you. God bless.
 
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edjlopez23 said:
So I have some scrupulosity
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The solution for scrupulosity is not hiding in a cave and avoiding every day activities such as going to the gym. The solution for scrupulosity lies in getting professional help to deal with a very real illness.

Talk to your pastor about your scruples.
 
I am slightly averse to going to gyms because I’m a guy with a healthy guy’s appetite. (for women, just to be clear.) Practicing custody of the eyes is hard work there. There are lots of young, beautiful women, and they really don’t wear tons of clothing. So yeah, I get distracted sometimes.

I probably will catch flack for this. I still go to the gym.
 
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By tremendski coincidence, I just got home from my first-ever visit to a gym…it’s actually a community recreation center, but it has everything your gym would, plus basketball courts and an indoor track…people of all ages, so, at 70, I didn’t feel out of place…there was one attractive young woman running sprints, but there was nothing immodest about her…no televisions…no loud music…no diagrams of any kind…just some friendly people improving their physical well-being…I’ll probably go back tomorrow…
 
Community rec centers are gyms, yes, but they are a very different genre compared to most gyms.
 
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The only point you mention that I think is not likely an issue is the diagrams. Then again we all face different temptations.

It is a problem of immodest dress at gyms. You have to practice custody of the eyes. Some music can be sexual or even blasphemous. TV will have immodesty.

None of this is so much that you shouldn’t go. And the purpose of going is for your bodily health which is good and necessary. Practice custody of the eyes. Get headphones. Maybe learn the best time to go when there are the least amount of immodest people there, if that is a problem. I am lucky and can go in the middle of the day when it is mostly older people. Your concerns are legitimate but the answer isn’t not going but going while doing what you can to stay holy.
 
I think the best answer for this is “to thy own self be be true.” For most people, Catholics and otherwise it would be fine. However, if you were sexualized at a young age, and spent decades fighting or giving in to carnal pleasures, then no.

Not until such time comes till you have your passions under control. The very first step of getting anywhere is to be brutally honest with yourself. Brutally honest. You can’t get anywhere until you admit you have issues with something.

There is no shame in saying to yourself, "I have some persistent passions that prevent me from belonging to a gym/ health club, so rather than putting myself and others in an uncomfortable position, I am going to buy some weights and some jogging shoes instead.

Who cares what anyone else thinks about it. They won’t be serving your purgatory for you!!! Everyone has their own crosses. Pick yours up and buy a jump rope!😎
 
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I’ve tried jump rope…
 
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