As a personal trainer at a high-end gym I can barely afford to work at, I’ve seen my share of interesting clients, but one new member really took the cake. She was decked out in an entire set of expensive gym gear (I knew the brand) and had an air of indifference, almost as if she was just tolerating being there. To top it off, she was fully made up, with large jewelry that seemed more suited for a night out than a workout.
Me: “So, what are your fitness goals?”
New Member: “I just need a workout that doesn’t make me sweat.”
Me: “Well, that might be tough. The whole point of exercise is to push your body to the point where sweating is inevitable.”
New Member: “Yeah, but I don’t want to sweat. I joined here because I’m gonna be seen by my future husband, and I can’t be seen sweating. It’s so gross.”
Me: “I’m afraid I can’t really help you with that. Any meaningful exercise is going to put some strain on the body, and sweating is a natural result.”
New Member: “What about meaningless exercise?”
Me: “Well… that’s pretty much all that’s left?”
Not wanting to charge her for “meaningless” exercise, I gave her a few tips for light exercises that wouldn’t push her too hard. Over the next two months, she showed up to the gym, spent most of her time sitting on machines, texting, and scanning the room for potential suitors. Eventually, she stopped coming altogether, despite being locked into a year-long contract. I can only hope she found her future husband—hopefully, he’s okay with her approach to fitness!
