It’s a known ‘things’ that getting a little activity in your day to day routine is important for your health. Even if it’s a 10 minute walk or a 5 minute mad dance in the kitchen to your favourite track. However, there’s a lot of emphasis on going to the gym for regular exercise, whether it’s most evenings a week, or two lunch times a week. I mean, I used to love the gym, but since falling pregnant last year, I have been on a stand-off with the place.
I haven’t had any motivation to go. But I’ve more than enough motivation to keep going to the biscuit tin! When I talk to people about why I don’t feel like going, there’s a few factors that drive my thoughts. The first is pure laziness; I just have other things I’d rather do with my time. The second is I’m conscious my fitness is diabolical and don’t want to witness it. The third is none of my previous gym clothes fit me or look good on me anymore, which is something I can actually do something about if I can rustle up the motivation.
I was never athletic when I was younger, and it wasn’t until I was in my mid to late 20’s that I got into the gym (I’m 35 now). But I have to say when I was attending the gym, I was probably the most in-shape I’ve ever been. However, I still didn’t feel amazing at the gym unless I made an effort and put on a well fitted sports bra and leggings set.
Since then, I’ve discovered where I prefer to work out (on the treadmills or various other cardio areas) and how I don’t have to mainly rely on ‘how I look’ to make the gym work for me. That being said, I do find the right gym wear still motivates me to this day! So if you have ‘gymtimidation’, here’s a few tips to bear in mind:
1. Choose clothes that make you feel comfortable
Here’s the first one: make sure you feel comfortable in your chosen workout wear. I’m not necessarily saying it’s all about the cute workout gear. But, when a sports bra of fitted top works with my body shape and enhances my figure, yet allows me to work out comfortably and I feel confident wearing it, I find I work out better.
The same can be said for a well fitting pair of leggings. When I feel like they are sculpting my body and ‘holding me in’, I do feel extremely comfortable. You can be fin with workout wear too. Wear the bold colours, layer up with a cool hooded top, experiment with the latest trainers. Or, you can even wear old band t-shirts with leggings or whatever reflects your personality. I personally love the aspect of gym fashion!
2. Know your gym inside and out
If you aren’t sure what equipment is round a certain corner or tucked away in a little room, you might find yourself getting afraid to go. The fear of ‘big beefy men working out’ is a common concern for the ladies that chose to go into the gym, but it really doesn’t have to be that way.
How many times have you been in the gym and have no idea how to use this unusual piece of equipment? But then you feel stupid, so don’t want to ask the man puffing and panting at the side of you, working on his weight bar. Honestly, don’t waste time wondering in your mind how to use something, and never actually using it because you have no idea what it is. Once you know, you know!
The best thing to do is to book a full tour of the gym when you join, so you can ask the gym staff member all your questions from day one. When they take you to every corner of the gym and run through each piece of equipment and machine, you’ll honestly never find yourself worrying about I spent about the equipment again!
3. Try out classes
While classes have scared people before because they worry about going on their own or being shown up in the class, they can actually be amazing for your workout regimes. it can boost your gym confidence so fast. Firstly you’d be so surprised by how many people who go to workout classes actually have zero idea what they are doing, and many go to classes to hide into the background. Just you watch how many people rush to the back row!
Secondly, they are a great way for chatting to others. And once you start to know or recognise people in the gym, it starts to feel like a friendly place and a little less intimidating.
Classes are also great for setting yourself a gym routine, and they create a pretty quick learning curve. After a few classes, you start to recognise people in the class, the general workouts they teach, the instructor, and how much of a workout it gives you!
Try turning up early to, so you can pick your spot in the room and even get chatting to the instructor.
4. Create the perfect playlist for you
When I first got into working out, I found that the music I was listening to on each gym visit either made my sessions, or broke them! I learnt that dance music and fast r&b worked best for when I was pushing myself, and acoustic tracks for warm ups and cool downs helped my gym mindset.
Make sure you look forward to listening to the playlist, as it will give you that motivation boost when you get into the gym!
5. Focus on only yourself
Remember that comparison is the theft of joy, so try to avoid walking into the gym and analysing what someone else is doing. Their body is different to yours and their goals are, too!
In short, stop looking at everyone else. You only work out to your best ability and get the best results when you focus on what you’re doing, and you only. When you start to paying attention to you and your goals and gym workout, you’ll find you can easily get absorbed into and really take your workout to the next level. Keep this in mind, and the more you practice being ‘obsessed’ with your own gym journey, it will soon become the norm!
Overall, remember that the gym shouldn’t be a scary, intimidating place that some people make it out to be. It should be fun, and a place to experiment and push your boundaries. It should become a hobby and a lifestyle choice, not a chore and something that creates fear or anxiety. Hopefully, the tips above will help you banish any negative feelings, and look forward to your gym and fitness journey!
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