I thought I had another week before all those New Year's resolution people invade the Y, but I forgot about school break this week. I have today off and thought I'd start my day with a swim, however couldn't even find a parking place at the branch with the pool.

Oh well, will keep stopping by while I'm out running around today but admit I'm dreading the January crush, where sometimes I never do get in and when you do the time on cardio equipment is limited to 30 minutes.

They'll be gone in a few weeks. I'm dreading going to my Weight Watchers meeting next week. I'm going to get there early so I'm not stuck in line behind all the people who should have joined before "the holidays" started.

I'm watching for this at my gym, but it hasn't happened yet. Attendance at classes is still light. So many people are off, they're going to the gym during off hours, and I haven't seen a crowd yet.

But yeah, January is when I start keeping weird hours at the gym, so I am assured of getting my cardio in, and keeping the machine as long as I want to. I foresee some 6 AM spin classes, rather than the 7:30 PM classes after work.

And this is when people will start hanging their puffy winter coats over the weight benches & other equipment, as if they are there to serve as coat racks. Dudes, take your coats down to the locker room & hang them there. I want to get on that bench & do some chest flys.

I have complete sympathy for newbies, and for the timid & frightened, because I was like that once, but not for a lack of plain common sense, like using equipment as one's own personal drying rack for a snowed-on coat.

Yup...I am here dreading it too. But I have been in the gym scene long enough to know that by the middle of February they will be gone. I have already made up my mind to go to the early morning or late night classes. I am not even going to think about going on the treadmill during those weeks as I can't deal with the time restrictions.

Yes it is busy but it will thin out. I think some of them get discouraged with the time limits and crowds. I just wish the gym would put up bigger GYM ETIQUETTE signs. I don't mind the coats as much as the sweat puddles. Yuck!! Gag!!

I HATE that. I think you should have to go a minimum number of times to the gym the year before to even be allowed in during January! Ha! I belonged to one gym where the limit was 20 mins. Bah!

Now, I belong to the gym at work... last year I didn't notice TOO much of an increase during January... so I am hoping it isn't too bad this year, too. I also go at about 2 - 3pm (after the lunch break rush at noon) so that helps, too.

My gym has been horrendous, had to wait for treadmill and most of the weights. I did however go into the outdoor pool yesterday EVEN though the heater was broken! Yes I am truly nuts, my heart practically stopped when I got in there. The weather was around 55 yesterday and quite windy and sprinkling a bit. In a few weeks everybody who isn't serious about their exercise will have given up their resolutions already, so just be patient.

How long does the January rush usually last? I was just thinking that my gym is going to get crowded. I might have wake up really early and go at 6am instead of my usual evening trip.

No one's at my gym...at 5:00 AM. I was one of three people this morning. Yeterdays 5:45 AM spin class was the busiest it's been since before Christmas. I think we might have had close to 10 people.

Seriously though, I'm bracing for the rush...especially on Saturdays. I hate Saturdays. Weekday mornings are nice though and relatively untarnished. And I've noticed that people who are willing to wake up at 5:00 AM also tend to stick with it.

Matt, the January rush is usually bad for about two weeks and then starts trickling down to normal by about mid-February. And might I say, I've seen in a couple posts here recently that you are almost 40...I've been guessing you were mid-20's! That's a compliment.

At my gym it starts to fizzle out around the middle of February and by March you can definitely see the reduction in numbers.

I have been in situations where persons get to the class 45mins early, just to get their favorite spot in the class at the front. I want to scream 'COME ON'...you do not get a better workout if you are at the front of the class. Whatever you put in, that's what you will get!

Every January I just remind myself...they will soon be gone, they will soon be gone.

I do this in spin class. Well kind of. I will set up a bike and claim it with a towel and water bottle and then I will go do abs or another cardio machine. I do this so I can run into class at the last minute and hop on a prepared bike. BUT I only do this because there are always 20 extra bikes. If it was a packed class I wouldn't do it. In fact sometimes I do this on Saturday mornings, and those classes ARE packed. I've told the instructor several times to please move my stuff if anyone is ever looking for a bike. I told him I don't believe in "saving a spot". I just want my bike prepared for me.

That's how it is at my gym. You must get there earlier than normal for the next couple of months. Sigh. I go early in the morning, so now I have to get there extra early.

Eliana, is it a free-for-all before spin class at your gym, or what?

My gym has a reservation system. Reservations for bikes open up at 5:45 AM on the day before the class. So you call the front desk or stop by & ask the person manning the computer system to "save a bike" for you.

Thus I do not feel badly about putting a towel & water bottle on a bike ahead of time, then messing with all the dials to adjust the seat & handle bars. I'm already reserved for the class, I just have to pick out which particular bike I'm going to use.

(The only trouble I've had resulted from mistaking the gym's white generic towel & a Poland Spring water bottle that belonged to someone else with my own towel & Poland Spring water bottle. I discovered it when I was just about to take a swig of the water: Mine had already been opened, theirs was still hygienically sealed. My apologies were profuse.)

At least you do something within the 45 minutes. They just stand there looking cute! Can you imagine how many calories they could have burned during that time!