Small Steps to Health

How to Stop Fearing Exercise

January 23rd, 2008 by asithi · No Comments

I have a friend who starts the New Year with a new gym membership for the last five years. Inevitably, she would stop going within one month. I finally asked her what is the reason she quitted each time, she said:

‘I am afraid I will look stupid because I do not know what is going on at the gym.’

Oh, I understand that feeling all too well. I remember when I started at the gym for the first time. I spent more time trying to figure out how the machines work than actually working out at the machines. And once I figured out how one of them works, I stick with that machine until boredom forces me to move on or I quit.

As a beginner exerciser, I was able to stop fearing exercise when I:

1. Redefine exercise.
My husband likes to go bowling. I started going with him to keep him company and ended up liking bowling myself. You do not get much of a workout when you are in a group because you have to wait a while before it is your turn. But when it is two people, you keep your heart rate up since your turn comes up quickly. I usually work up a good sweat when we bowl two or three games.

If you did not find success with a traditional gym fitness program, you might want to think about what areas in your life you can include additional movement. Just a brisk walk two or three times a week might help with preparing you mentally and physically for a regular exercise program in the future.

2. Shop around for a gym, park, or trail.
Gyms are as different as the people who go there. Certain gyms are more intimidating because you cannot find people there that looked like you. I found my comfort zone when I started going to an all women gym. You basically got to keep looking until you find a place you are comfortable with. Just like when you are buying a car, you do not buy the first car that you test drive. So what makes you think that the closest gym environment is a good fit? Most gyms offer 7 day passes. You should take advantage of them to see at what times and days of the week are their busiest times.

3. Enlist the help of a personal trainer.
Most gyms give you two free sessions with a trainer when you sign up. I recommend using those sessions to help familiarize yourself with the different machines. Space those two sessions apart. That way you can try the machines on your own after your first session and you can ask additional questions at the second session.

4. Get support from your friends.
It helps to have friends distract you from your fears if you make a social activity out exercising. Eventually though, if you are able to chat like you are at a coffee shop while you are working out, it is a sign that you are not exerting yourself hard enough. But for the beginner, it will help them get over the fear of being in a new environment.

5. Try it out first.
If you always wanted to try a kickboxing class, but are afraid, you can try it out with work out videos at home. You can check out DVDs from your local library or at Netflix to see if the class is right for you before making a commitment.

6. Workout at home.
This is my all time favorite. Some people crave the structure of going to the gym before or after work. I like the flexibility of working out at home. Step 5 was actually what made me started working out at home regularly. Once I saw that I can get some of the fun group exercises on DVDs, I have not looked back since. I find that I do not have any exercise anxiety when working out at home.

Labels: Exercise, Motivation

Tagged Fitness