Facing My Fear of the Gym

It’s a new year and I, along with many others, decided to join a gym. I know, I don’t know who I am anymore. I don’t know what it is about the new year that makes us all fitness mad. Some would say overindulging over Christmas, but, to be honest, I overindulge most of the time anyway! The truth is I need to improve my overall fitness and start looking after my body a bit better; so here I am, a gym goer.

On a serious note; I love food. Always have, always will. I’m not willing to go on any crazy diets or give up certain foods because I know it won’t make me happy and in the end, I’ll crash and go on a massive binge. So, the compromise, join and gym and start exercising regularly.

It’s definitely helping me that my boyfriend Sam is coming with me; the machines are all very intimidating and confusing so having him show me how they all work definitely helps. I think that’s where my initial fear came from; I didn’t want to mess up on the machines and be laughed at. Also, I HATE sports bras with a passion, WHY are they so hard to get on and off?! That being said, even if you’re on you’re own, there is no harm in asking someone how different things work. No one is going to laugh at you. At least you’re trying and giving it a go!

I think the biggest thing to remember is to go at your own pace; it doesn’t matter if the person next to you has run 10 miles or lifted 50kg weights. You have to do what’s right for you, if you go too hard too fast you could risk injury or get disappointed when you can’t do it and give up. There I was lifting just a bar without any weights attached as it was my first time doing it I didn’t want to go overboard. But I didn’t get any funny looks or sniggers; people just got on with whatever they were doing. No one cares!

At the moment I’m trying to do a mixture of cardio and weights. I’m not trying to lose weight or anything I would just like to tone up and just be a bit fitter overall! It’s quite good to keep to a plan that you can slowly increase as time goes on e.g. increase weights or intensity. Remember, that ache you feel after the first couple of visits will slowly go away the more you exercise.

Only time will tell if I keep this up; that being said I am feeling very motivated and am actually enjoying it so far. I do think we have created this idea of gyms in our heads as somewhere very intimidating and scary. I can’t speak for all gyms of course but I feel very comfortable there and definitely don’t think they’re as scary as they can be made out to be. I think it’s something everyone can enjoy, why not give it a go!