Going to the gym is a ritual for many people, and rituals can be an essential part of maintaining one’s mental health. I’m not justifying the speakeasy gyms, but I completely understand why someone would feel compelled to use one.
A thing that is very important about rituals is that there are almost always triggers of when the ritual should be performed. Often that trigger involves being in a specific place.
For exercise, that trigger is going to the gym.
For work, that trigger is going to the office
For religion, that trigger is going to the church / temple / etc.
When you deprive people of the ability to be in the correct place, then their trigger is blocked and their rituals don't happen.
Yes, you could retool your rituals (work from home is the biggest example of this), but for many things, the motivation or desire just isn't there.
The spaces are too important to the ritual itself.
So I can totally see why people would want to go to the gym even if they weren't supposed to.
Ive had a certain degree of success mimicking this by adding smells via essential oil defusers are key points like “starting work” or “preparing for bed”, but I can’t say I’ve found a silver bullet. Still, I think there’s something here.
I finally started biking recently, but I struggle to get motivated and get out of the apartment to do it. That was never a problem when going to the gym.