Gym-Rat-ian Confessions, Part 2 - Who Goes There?

I always half believed a stereotyped image of the sort of people who go to the gym faithfully almost every day: almost entirely teeny-, 20-, 30-, and 40-somethings (maybe a few die-hard 50-somethings); mostly in-shape or crazy-in-shape; mostly people whose lives are centered on their chosen type of fitness (e.g. body-building or runners). Ignoring the fact that I can't read people's minds, I'll say up front that I've seen such people at the gym over the past several months.

Age Range. Obviously, what follows is based on my personal, imperfect, guesstimates. With that caveat, I think I can safely say that I've seen youths (boys and girls) as young as junior high age (obviously with parental consent) , and I've seen septuagenarians and possibly octogenarians. I'd guess the age range for most people I see as 30YO-55YO.

Fitness Level. This is one of the two areas where the stereotype is furthest from reality. I'd say that people who are visually in-shape or crazy-in-shape are in the minority (a large minority, but still a minority). Saying this as a description, not denigration, I've seen quite a few people who are obviously not in-shape, or are very out-of-shape. FWIW, I'd place myself somewhere between not-in-shape and visually in-shape.

Reason for Being Gym Regulars. Like I said above, there are obviously people at the gym for whom their chosen type of fitness is at or near the center of their lives. But there is a wide range of apparent purposes represented (based on outward appearance). Some people are obviously there to lose weight. Some people are there to get in shape. Those two are my purposes. Some are there to recover from some health event - an injury, a pregnancy, a stroke. Some elderly people are there to maintain and even expand their physical capabilities.

I don't need or want to arm-twist anyone into joining a gym. But if doing so would make sense to some one, and they have the personal discipline to do it (rather than throwing their money away for something they won't use), maybe the above will help overcome some mental roadblocks. And it need not be applicable to gym membership only. I've seen a similar wide range of ages, abilities and purposes among people walking and running as exercise on their own.