Finding a Closer Gym May Be the Key to Working Out More

Read the full article by Ian Servantes on Men’s Health

If you’re not going to the gym often enough, or at all, don’t blame yourself. No, no, no, don’t do that—of course it’s not your fault! Just blame geography.

A study by the data firm Dstillery found a relationship between the commute to the gym and frequency of visits. Those who go to the gym just once a month travel a median distance of 5.1 miles, according to the Wall Street Journal. Those who go five times a month average a more manageable commute of 3.7 miles.

This information, which should inspire you to find a gym closer to you, was found by using anonymized data from 7.5 million mobile phones taken to prominent fitness centers. The study also found that people are willing to travel farther for fancier gyms.

Members of Equinox and SoulCycle average commutes of 5.7 and 5.5 miles, respectively. Those who belong to the less pricy Blink travel an average of 2.8 miles, while those who go to Planet Fitness average 3.2 miles.

Another study by the Journal of American College Health found a similar phenomenon among students. College freshman, who typically live on campus much closer to workout facilities, exercised an average of 12 times per week, while juniors and seniors dropped down to 9.

Don’t feel bad about those high numbers from the youth, though. Each activity at the gym, such as running or lifting, counted as an exercise in the study. And don’t beat yourself up about not working out enough. Just find a gym that’s closer.