办卡一时爽

Hey everyone! Welcome to a new episode of Simply Natural Chinese! I'm Tian Tian!

Hey everyone, I'm A-Jie.

A-Jie, don't I look different today?

Hmm... let me see. You're in workout clothes, and you tied your hair up.

Haha yes! Because I just did something big!

What big thing? Tell me.

I got a gym membership! A whole year of it!

Oh no... you're done for.

Done for? I'm serious — I'm gonna pump some iron.

You've heard that saying, right? "Buying the card feels great, lifting iron brings two streams of tears."

Hahaha, that's brutal.

Brutal, yes, but it's the truth.

"Lifting iron" really nails it — the dumbbells and barbells are literally iron.

Heavy enough to make you question your life choices.

You sound like you've been through this — have you?

I have. Three times.

Three times?!

Yeah. Let me tell you my iron-lifting tale of woe.

Come on, spill it!

Let's start with the money. How much did your card cost?

Just over 3,000 yuan, for one year.

Wow, that's not cheap.

It was over 5,000 originally, but I haggled with the salesperson for ages before they gave me a discount.

Haggling with the salesperson? There goes your E-type personality again.

Of course you've got to negotiate!

So how often do you plan to go?

I promised myself — three times a week.

Three times a week...

What? Is that too much?

It's not too much. I just think you might pull it off... the first week.

And after that?

After that... twice a week, then once a week, then once a month, and finally the card starts gathering dust.

Haha, "gathering dust"! So true — that yoga card I got last year is gathering dust right now.

See? You're already a veteran.

So all three of your cards ended up gathering dust, huh?

Pretty much. Let me start with the first one.

I'm all ears.

The first time was the year I started working.

How old were you then?

Twenty-two, I think. I felt myself getting heavier and heavier, so I decided to get abs.

Guys all want abs, girls all want a toned midsection.

Pretty much. That card was for two years — guess how many times I went?

How many?

About ten.

Only ten?! Ten times in two years?

Do the math — that's once every two-plus months.

So how much did each visit cost?

I worked it out — about 300 yuan per visit.

Oh my god, 300 yuan for one gym visit? I could've had a hotpot meal for that!

That's why I say "lifting iron brings two streams of tears."

So why didn't you go?

Too many reasons. The most common one is — being too tired after work.

No energy to move after work?

Right. You work eight or nine hours a day, get home, and just want to lie down — who has energy for the gym?

What about weekends?

On weekends you just want to sleep, watch TV, and eat.

That sounds exactly like my mom.

Haha, so it's not an age problem — it's a human nature problem.

"Human nature problem" — that sounds so serious.

Think about it — exercise goes against human nature; comfort is our instinct.

Then why are some people able to stick with it?

Those people are the minority. They either treat fitness as a lifestyle, or they have a clear goal.

A clear goal like what?

Like, shooting wedding photos, entering a competition, or chasing someone.

Haha, chasing someone counts too?

Of course! The power of love is the strongest of all.

Fair enough. So what about the second card?

The second time was after the pandemic — I'd gained 10 jin, about 5 kilos.

Ten jin!

Working from home, every day it was bed to chair, chair to desk, takeout every meal.

Then what?

Then I made up my mind — I was getting serious about fitness.

How long did you last this time?

Two months.

Better than last time!

Because I hired a personal trainer.

Wow, a personal trainer must've been pricey.

I bought twenty sessions, over 10,000 yuan.

Over 10,000?!

Yep.

So 500 yuan per session?

If you factor in the wasted money after I stopped, each session actually cost even more.

And after those two months? You stopped going once the sessions ended?

Right. No one was watching me anymore.

Haha, so yours is the classic "no supervision, total freedom" mode.

Pretty much.

Oh my god, fitness sounds like paying money to suffer.

A lot of people feel that way.

So what happened with your third card?

The third time was last year.

Gained weight again?

Gained weight again.

Hahaha, so your life is just a cycle of dieting, bouncing back, and dieting again?

That summary is spot on.

How did the third one go?

I got smarter the third time — instead of an annual card, I got a monthly one.

Monthly's more flexible?

Right — if I didn't go, I wouldn't lose much.

So how many times did you go?

Eight.

Eight times in a month! That counts as sticking with it, right?

But after that month, I didn't renew.

Haha, here we go again!

See? "Buying the card feels great, lifting iron brings two streams of tears" — that saying isn't lying.

Do you regret it?

I've regretted it, but every time I sign up I think "this time I'll definitely stick with it."

People always fool themselves like that.

That's why I said you're done for.

So what do I do now? I've already signed up.

Don't panic. Let me give you some advice.

Okay okay, go ahead!

First — don't set a flag that's too big.

Oh, this one I get. The higher you set the flag, the harder it falls.

You handle Gen Z slang pretty smoothly.

Of course — I'm a college student.

So set smaller goals — like "I'll go twice this week."

Mm, I can do that.

Second — find a buddy.

Go with a friend, hold each other accountable?

Right.

What if my friend wants to slack off too?

Then you both give up together.

Haha, so I need a friend who's more disciplined.

Right — ideally someone who's already working out.

Got it!

Third — don't crash diet.

I knew you'd say this — dieting bounces back easily, right?

Not just bouncing back — you end up even heavier.

Huh? Why?

Because your body thinks you're starving, so it starts storing fat.

Oh my god, there's actual science behind it.

So the right approach is — eat properly, exercise gradually.

Eat properly, exercise gradually... sounds so simple, but it feels really hard to actually do.

That's why I said it goes against human nature.

Any other tips?

Fourth — don't obsess over WeChat Moments check-ins.

That's kind of a buzzkill — isn't posting on Moments motivating?

At first, sure. But over time you end up working out just for the post.

That really is putting the cart before the horse.

Hey, you actually know that phrase?

I may be a student, but I'm a cultured one, okay?

Haha, okay okay.

So what should the real purpose be?

To make yourself healthier, and feel better.

So it's for yourself, not for other people.

Right.

A-Jie, you make so much sense. So are you still working out now?

...Nope.

Hahaha, knew it!

But I walk to work every day — about 10,000 steps.

Oh, that counts as exercise.

It does. And it's more sustainable.

Sustainable as in, something you can keep doing long-term?

Right. The gym is too high-maintenance — every time you have to change clothes, shower, it's a hassle.

So you're saying everyday movement is better than going to the gym specifically?

For me, yes.

Then why does everyone want to go to the gym?

Because going to the gym looks professional, and the Moments posts look great.

Back to that topic again.

Right? People really are that vain.

Besides the gym, what other ways to exercise are there?

Running, yoga, hiking, ball sports, cycling — too many to count.

What about things you can do at home?

There are plenty of apps now — just follow along.

Oh right, my friend's been doing the seven-minute workout on an app lately.

Short, simple workouts — those are actually the easiest to stick with.

Because the bar is low?

Right. Seven minutes — anyone can spare that.

So maybe I shouldn't have gotten that card?

You've already got it — just go and see.

Haha, right! My confidence is back.

Your confidence comes back way too quickly.

I'm an E-type, you know — enthusiasm comes fast, goes fast.

So when E-types buy gym cards, the flag is even more likely to fall.

Stop cursing me!

Haha, alright, then I wish you the strength to stick with it.

Thanks! Let's wrap up today's episode here.