You heard me. Gyms should be like libraries. They should be free to access and they should be more plentiful than they already are.
Wichita has 7 libraries. Every little town around it has at least 1. There should be at least 7 publicly funded gyms in the city as well (and in every other city and town in America).
Now, this is probably where you’re thinking, “What’s wrong with this guy? Why would we waste public money on this? Doesn’t he know not everybody likes working out?” Let me start out by first saying that it’s not a waste of money. We complain about the health of our citizens, yet provide nothing to help people become healthier. No healthcare. No gyms. Not even realistic encouragement. All Americans get is an occasional lecture. My arguments for gyms is that the science is overwhelming clear at this point that every human should be doing some form of strength training. That means weightlifting. It lowers your risk of all the major diseases. Stops you from falling when you’re older, and does all the things healthcare professionals say they want for their patients. So, it doesn’t make sense that
Weightlifting isn’t publicly encouraged for everyone.
It isn’t free and easily available.
We want people to be sick less often and healthier overall. Public gyms should already be a thing, and it shouldn’t be controversial.
This doesn’t mean we couldn’t have private gyms. USPS, UPS and FED EX all exist. If people want to pay for a fancier gym, they can. But, if you live in a big city you’re probably going to have access to a pretty awesome gym for free. That said, a small gym will be enough for most people. All you need are dumbbells, a squat rack, deadlift area, and a bench press and you’re set. A small public gym would have more than that, but they would at least have those.
My current gym is only $45 for me a year. Might as well be free. It’s small, nice (it’s new), and has everything I need and more. So few people use it it reminds me of a hidden neighborhood library. It’s filled with awesome stuff that makes my life better, and it’s underused. To me, it’s just madness that nobody anywhere is pushing for this. We should want everyone to be healthier and happier, and we should be putting our money where our mouth is as we do with many, many important things.
These public gyms would also have the gym equivalent of librarians. People with fitness degrees who can help you train and build a plan for you would be present if you desired their help. They’d do so for free for patrons, and they would be paid with public funds as all public servants are.
So, do us all a favor. Go tell a friend you want a public gym in your neighborhood, and then bug your state reps and federal reps with emails and calls about how you want a damn public gym to be a thing. Let them know your tired of being healthy only being available to those who can afford it (or are lucky like me and have access to a dirt cheap gym).
Health should be for everyone. And we should fight to make it a reality.