The Gym: How to walk in Confidently

The Gym. I’m going to tell you now, that this not might be a blog post for everyone – the thought or sound of the gym is enough to put you off, or perhaps you are quite happy participating in other exercise routines you have, whether that be running, swimming, sports or walking the dog! However, a question I get a lot is how did you get started at the gym and how do you know what to do when you’re there, without looking silly!

I started going to the gym when I was 16 – I think it was because my friends go, and being a very body conscious teenager, I thought I wanted to shift a few pounds (in hindsight, obviously not the correct mindset!). When I started at the gym all I did was cardio machines and ab work because that’s all I knew – and I was too scared to try anything else.

I grew to love going to the gym, I loved the feeling after exercising and moving your body in a way that feels good to you – and for me that was going to the gym. I not only use it to look after my body and health but also to give myself some ‘me’ time – where I am doing exercises specifically for myself rather than to please anyone else. It also gives me a chance to just zone out a bit from the world and concentrate on what I am doing in that present time. I wrote a post a few months ago, contemplating that exercise is more than just the ‘physical aspect’ (click here to read that post).

This week I want to give you some tips about getting started at the gym and things that I found helpful and want to recommend to you.

MY 6 TOP TIPS

1) Don’t be afraid of having an induction – Even if you have been a member of a gym before or think you can muddle along; it is best to get started off on the right foot! All gyms should offer an induction when you join. They should explain where certain facilities are within the gym (so you don’t go around looking like a lost puppy) and then also go around the machines explaining how you use them and what muscles they are good to work on (this should avoid getting on a machine then accidentally using it wrongly, and potentially causing yourself harm!).

2) Utilise a personal trainer – Now I don’t mean going and paying a fortune to have a personal trainer (although that’s cool if that’s what you want to do!), but depending on what gym you join, some will offer a free (or 3 if you go to ‘The Gym Group’ like I do) personal trainer sessions. These are really useful as you can discuss what your exercise or health goals are with them and they can put together a programme for you to work on independently, as well as talk you through certain exercises that can help you to reach your goals.

3) Go to classes – I can’t stress how important going to classes was enough for me! I went through a stage about 3 years ago where I only went to classes. I liked classes because they worked me hard, I was using weights (which I feared using before!) and they were fun! However, it got to a time that I wanted to structure my gym sessions more (now I split it into an upper body weight, lower body weights and HIIT/Cardio sessions - but everyone is different, remember that!). By having only gone to classes for about a year – I has loads of ideas of exercises that I could incorporate into my own routine! And even better, I knew how to do the exercises correctly because gym instructors had been correcting my form over time. At my gym ‘The Gym Group’ they had classes included in the membership which made it super easy to get involved!

4) Don’t be afraid of the free weights section – Honestly up until about 2 years ago, I would never go to the weights section because I thought I would make a fool of myself or I would be embarrassed as I was lifting a lot less than all the built up men around me. However, the free weights area is for everyone to get fitter and stronger and if you are unsure of what to do – just ask!

5) Don’t be afraid to ask for help – That’s why there are gym instructors are present! If you are not sure about using a certain machine or how to do an exercise, then ask for help – trust me, no one should judge someone for making sure the are doing an exercise correctly.

6) Do what you enjoy – Just because one person does one type of exercise or machine for their training session, don’t feel that you need to mimic that! Obviously exercising is supposed to increase your heart rate, however if an exercise doesn’t work for you or you really don’t enjoy it – don’t do it! You want to make your time at the gym personal and enjoyable. If you fill your time at the gym with non-enjoyable exercises, the chances are your going to resent going – which is not the point of exercise!

At the end of the day, you may join the gym, get stuck in but realise it isn’t for you and you would prefer to structure your exercise in a different manner – which is totally cool!

Laura Thomas phd (author of “Just Eat It”) writes this about intuitive movement – “Intuitive movement is about finding joy in an activity, whether it’s taking a low impact yoga class, going for a walk or training for a marathon – finding activity that doesn’t leave you drained and exhausted is a critical part of the process”.

In other words, do what feels good for you and if you feel that getting to the gym might be your avenue, then I hope these beginner tips are helpful!

Lots of Love

Ruth xxx