Joining the gym can be a significant lifestyle change and often, not an easy one. Recent research* has found that one in four women feel intimidated by the gym and shy away from exercise due to the fear of being judged.Help them discover their reason for fitness and understand why they’ve chosen to make this significant lifestyle change.
If you’re new to the gym, it can seem very daunting and intimidating but there’s one thing you should always remember; we’re all there to work on ourselves, just like you. In our experience, most of this intimidation can be alleviated if you get the correct coaching, guidance and prior information.
Going to the gym is a lifestyle choice and a habit which you will need to establish. After only a few weeks, you will likely notice a positive change in your mood, confidence, sleep and stress levels. As you exercise, your body produces hormones called endorphins. Referred to as the “happy hormone”, you will soon realise why people become obsessed and enjoy going to the gym.
Set yourself up for success
Along with learning new things, meeting friends and being involved in a whole different social community, all your pre-concerns and nervousness will soon be lifted when following our top five tips for getting started in the gym:
- Plan ahead; Often the biggest mistake people make is going to the gym with no plan. Training without one doesn’t help you to improve and instead leaves you aimlessly guessing and hoping that you see some results. This can subsequently lead to you quickly becoming disillusioned with the gym. Getting a Personal Trainer to help you with a plan and coach you the correct techniques will speed up your results and ensure you are working in the correct and safe way. Speak to your Club Manager about Personal Training services to help you with this!
- Wear the right kit; A great way to motivate yourself is to buy new gym kit. If you’re going to spend in one area, we’d recommend new trainers. Wearing incorrect or old footwear increases the risk of injury and subsequent pain around the body such as your knees or back. When it comes to clothing, choose something that’s a comfortable fit. Choose something too tight and it can be detrimental to your ability to perform exercises correctly. More expensive isn’t necessarily better either!
- Buddy up; Training alone can also feel daunting, especially when you’re surrounded by experienced gym go-ers. Make it more enjoyable and share the experience with somebody else, it’s motivational and makes the time pass much quicker. We offer free day passes for friends of members so take advantage of this and maybe you can convince them to join with you!
- Don’t be afraid to ask; The fitness team on our gym floors are there to support and coach you, passing on any advice you may need. So, if you don’t know how to perform an exercise, use a certain machine or want to know how to work out a part of your body, ask!
- Keep it simple! While we mentioned earlier that a plan is important, don’t head straight to watching a social media influencer or celebrity’s fitness regime. These are likely to be quite advanced and not the correct way of approaching your own training regime. Whilst you’re a relative beginner, be patient as your body will need to adapt and progressively improve. A plan which covers different aspects of fitness (e.g. strength and cardio) and a workout for major muscle parts would be more than enough to begin with.
Are you looking for a welcoming gym that provides coaching, support and understands balance?
