Fight The Fear of Fitness

Fight the Fear of Fitness: 5 tips to overcome your Fitness Obstacles

So you’ve decided that now is the time to fulfill your fitness goals. Congratulations!!! You are going to feel so much better about yourself once you get started. Whether your motivation is to lose weight, get fit or overall wellbeing you need a starting point. I remember how overwhelming my first visit to the gym was. I took a tour of the gym and the guide was selling me on machines and classes that I had never heard of. I must have looked at that staff member wide eyed and terrified because they made the suggestion that a fitness orientation with a personal trainer may be a good idea. Based on my own experiences I am going to make five recommendations that I wish someone had made to me to help take the fear out of fitness.

1. HAVE FUN: It may come as a surprise that this is tip #1 but if you don’t enjoy what you are doing, you are less likely to do it again. I remember running for the first time. That was not fun. I questioned why I chose a legal form of torture to get fit. After my work out, I sat and thought about what I could do to make running more enjoyable. I created a playlist on my iPod filled with songs that I love that were high energy and provided me with motivation to persevere. Whether you walk, run, swim, skip, row or complete a marathon, you have to have fun doing it. Take whatever action needed to make that happen.

2. HIRE A PERSONAL TRAINER: General “Know How” seems to be one of the biggest obstacles in physical activity. Regardless of what your goals are, a personal trainer will teach you how to perform an exercise properly and safely so you don’t injure yourself, teach you the effectiveness of the physical activity you have chosen and will hold you accountable for accomplishing your fitness goals. I know you are probably thinking “I don’t have time for a trainer” or “I can’t afford a trainer”. Those are very realistic concerns however you will have to shift your perspective. It’s a small sacrifice over a relatively short period of time with a huge return on investment which is your health and livelihood. With that said, it is very important to find the right trainer. Don’t be afraid to interview your personal training candidate before committing to training sessions. You should inquire about the trainer’s credentials, practical experience and what their biggest success story is. Most importantly you must feel comfortable with your trainer; after all you are paying for their assistance.

3. FIND A GYM/FITNESS BUDDY: We’ve all heard the expression that two heads are better than one; well in this case two bodies are better than one. Working out with someone can increase your “Know How” by sharing information and routines. You will also be more likely to commit to your fitness times because you are held accountable to someone else. Having some company can also make the fitness session more fun.

4. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR FITNESS GOALS: This may seem obvious but is probably the hardest obstacle to overcome. Getting physically fit doesn’t just happen; you need to make time to accomplish these goals. Many people start off strong but taper off before their fitness goals become routine. It takes approximately 3 weeks for a task to become routine. What I tell my clients is that they need to schedule their fitness time like it’s a doctor’s appointment. Most of us will commit to a doctor’s appointment, but when faced with scheduling conflicts, fitness is usually the first thing to be put off. ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS TAKES TIME AND PERSEVERANCE. You need to make the time commitment to reach your goals.

5. BECOME INTERESTED IN YOUR OWN ACTIVITIES: The best way to really excel at your activities is to learn about them. Spend a little bit of time everyday researching and learning about whatever physical activities you choose to participate in. There a many free mobile applications that can provide fitness tips, workout routines, yoga instruction, stretching tips etc. You could check out fitness magazines, YouTube for fitness routines and the list goes on and on. The point is you need to be active in your own fitness learning curve. You can’t sit back and hope the information comes to you. GET INVOLVED!