Iron Pol

Apparently this week is "National Turn the TV Off" week.  The only reason I know this is because of signs they have at the YMCA where I swim in the mornings.  The signs indicate that TVs in the facility will be turned off in support of the event.  It won't really impact me, though I wonder if they are perhaps hitting the wrong audience with their efforts.

Is there really a concern that individuals spending their mornings or afternoons at the YMCA are getting too much television?  Even without workouts (my wife was out of town all weekend), the total extent of my weekend TV time was a two-hour movie late Saturday night.  In fact, most days, the majority of my television viewing comes in those few minutes changing at the gym.

Then again, perhaps there is a growing population of "gym locker TV watchers" in need of a reason to head out and exercise.

In the end, it makes no difference to me, either way.  I won't stop going to the gym because they turned the TVs off.  Then again, having them off isn't going to dramatically increase my training volume.  Actually, it won't increase it at all.

Perhaps a better means to support the "turn off the TV" campaign would be to offer discounted or free passes for families to encourage them to get out of the house and into the gym.  Or set up daily events for youth, and provide incentives for participation.

And the kids could see that the YMCA was serious, since they have their own TVs turned off.

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