Teenagers shouldn't be allowed to go to the gym
Teenagers shouldn't be allowed to go to the gym
Unless they understand the dangers
Some of the newer readers of this newsletter may be thinking,
I am not sure how this is going to be related to revision?
And you would be correct.
Occasionally, I like to use my position of a young adult in his mid-twenties writing to a group of parents to address topics between parents and teenagers,
From a somewhat in-between perspective.
These specific editions of my newsletter are not meant to educate whatsoever.
They simply have the intention of perhaps casting a slightly different perspective.
Allowing both parents and teenagers to maybe see a topic in a slightly new way.
Or failing that,
Maybe they are a mildly entertaining read.
-
What’s my problem with the gym?
In my experience,
Most teenagers end up going to the gym.
And there is nothing wrong with that,
In theory.
My problem is, body issues are so prevalent in teenagers and young adults,
And I believe that gym culture tends to make these issues worse not better.
-
It should go without saying that this does not go for everyone.
In fact,
Going to the gym for many people is one of the most healthy activities they can do.
Mentally and physically.
However, I think there is a side to the gym that is rarely spoken about,
Especially when it comes to teenage boys.
-
My Personal Experience
I am going to speak for myself here,
But I believe this will relate to many people.
The gym made me far far far more body conscious then I ever was before or afterwards.
Luckily, I broadly kept it under control.
However, it was startling how I went to the gym,
3 or 4 times a week,
Fairly religiously,
Between the ages of 16 and 19,
And I progressively felt worse about how I looked.
I was gaining strength,
I got the dopamine rush of going and exerting energy,
But afterwards I wasn’t happy with the result.
-
This period of my life is the only period where I have regularly weighed myself.
It’s the only time in my life I would take pictures of my body under the impetus of ‘progress pictures.’
And it definitely saw me constantly compare myself,
And feel envious of,
Friends and strangers who physically looked ‘better’ than me.
-
What’s wrong with the gym specifically?
Many people do the things that I listed.
Whether they attend the gym or not.
However,
For me,
The environment of the gym,
The mirrors and the people,
And then perhaps more impactfully the culture of the gym,
Food & Nutrition, YouTube videos, Constantly discussing bodies and food,
Felt suffocating.
-
As I said,
I feel fairly lucky that this didn’t affect me too much,
But my belief is that for a lot of people,
This environment and culture create and/or magnify body and food issues.
-
I am not saying refuse your teenager’s request to join a gym.
But somehow,
Try and ensure that they are aware of the potential less favorable consequences of going to the gym.
And I would try and encourage you to (it is not easy to encourage teenager’s to do anything) create an environment at home that doesn’t substantiate negative, gym-related obsessions.
-
I hope you all have a great week ahead,
Best wishes,
Joel