I have been on my fitness journey for nearly 1 year now; and even though I feel that I haven't had a drastic transformation due to my uncontrollably bad eating habits, one thing I do know is that I have found a new hobby which is in health and fitness. It is crazy to think how much I have learnt in a year, I didn't even know what sets and reps were and I had never even stepped foot into a gym, so what changed? This blogpost is going to be for those who, like me, may be scared about getting into the world of fitness, which for some can be quite overwhelming; with all the different machines and equipment and what not and what is best to do for people who either want to get into fitness, may have never stepped into a gym or just to have an idea of what to do when you get there. Newbies- this one's for you!The first big step...
The hardest thing for me was getting the balls to actually walk into a gym and commit to signing up and paying a membership. For your first ever gym, the best thing to do is to do your research- what kind of gym do you want? Do you want a large chain gym, single gender, a pool, classes only? Check what different gyms offer and check if they fit your needs. Once you have chosen your gym, avoid buying a membership online- make the effort to physically go to the gym to sign up- here you will meet the staff who can help you, some may give you a tour of the facilities, others may offer free trial classes before you commit to a membership (take advantage of this, please!) By doing this you will know if you want to be a member there- my first gym was a small independent ladies only gym which welcomed me with open arms, gave me a full induction and taster classes as well as full body measurements every month to monitor your progress-this is what motivated me to stay at that gym as I could see progression! At the end of the day, stepping foot into a gym is a hard step but the best one you will ever make. When you finally have the courage to do so- just think about yourself, your body, your insecurities, and what you want to change- you will be in there quicker than you think!
Classes vs Gym Floor...
This is another decision you may want to make when you are picking your gym. Do you want your gym to be solely fitness class based or just a gym floor that had cardio and resistance machines and a free weights area, or a mix? Classes are a good way to get started in fitness if you want to change your body, you have somebody shouting at you to keep going and you quickly become competitive with the rest of the class to push yourself and be the best one there- making you work harder. There is so many different kinds of classes these days, and are usually best for those who don't have a lot of time to work out or just want to get it over and done with. Then there is also gyms which are focused on the equipment that they have to offer; unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably seen a photo or a meme that has rows of treadmills or cross trainers, bikes even rowers and more! This is your cardio equipment. But some gyms may also have an array of other complex and complicated machines which are for resistance and strength training. Others may have designated areas which are kitted out with dumbells and benches which are called free weights areas- this is where the big lads like to go to show off how much they can lift... The gym floor is good if you would rather just do your own thing in the gym, or you are committed to a gym split and want to work out different parts of the body (will talk more about this in Part 2) but it is probably best that you go in with a plan, and know more about reps and sets as well as given an induction by the gym staff how to use some equipment.
Committing to the cause...
So you have walked through the front door and met the staff, had your first induction and sent over your first direct debit. It is your first couple of days and you are wondering if this is for you, your body is in pain and you don't know if you can take any more- all I will say is JUST KEEP GOING! It you want to see results then you will need to make sure that you stick at it and stick to a good diet to ensure that you get the results you want to achieve. They say it takes longer for you to notice your own change and others to notice a lot quicker, it was when I started receiving compliments about how my body is changing where I realised that the hard work was paying off, and that was only a month after I joined a gym. YOU WILL NOT SEE RESULTS OVERNIGHT! I can't stress that enough, this does take time and there is no magic pill to get you the results you want- no matter how many fads there are out there. It will be hard, it will be tedious, you may want to give up. But just think of the results- you are doing this for your happiness, you will no longer be sick of crying over feeling insecure about your body because you know you are doing something about it, whatever that may be. I honestly believe that getting a gym membership is much better than working out from home; if you really want to make a change to your lifestyle then if you pay for something out of your own pocket on a monthly basis then you will physiologically feel more obliged to get off your backside to go to the gym- otherwise you will just be wasting money. So Because I knew I wouldn't be motivated to workout from home, this was the best option for me- for me, that was committing to the cause.
What is your advice for people who are just starting out in fitness? Leave your comment below or Tweet Me @Elisa_A__
Elisa :-) x
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