By Molly Smeltzer, Fitness and Wellness Manager at Advocate BroMenn Health & Fitness Center
Do you want to alleviate stress, lose weight, increase energy, battle chronic illnesses, or even boost your happiness? There is one thing that can lead you on the path towards achieving all of these goals, and that is exercise.
So why aren’t more people hitting the gym or pounding the pavement? One of the biggest reasons is quickly becoming known as “gym-timidation.” The fear or intimidation that people may feel when working out is enough to keep them from going to the gym or trying a new class, and, in the long run, it prevents them from achieving their fitness goals. Gym-timidation can stem from a clueless feeling when looking at the large weight contraptions to feeling like other gym-goers might be more fit than you or even the thought that people will know that you don’t know what you are doing.
Don’t let your gym anxiety prevent you from getting fit and improving your health — it will just impede your progress even more. Starting a fitness program will be one of the best things you can do for your health. Here are a few tips to combat gym-timidation.
- Identify your needs. What type of facility will work best for your goals? There is a broad range of fitness facilities available to serve almost every need imaginable. Are you training for a bodybuilding competition and need a place with large weight lifting equipment and staff trained in that field, or are you looking for a place where first-time exercisers and post-therapy patients are given guidance and programming in a medically based fitness facility? Find what facility will best serve your specific needs.
- Go in with a plan. Don’t just wander into the gym and hope to get a good workout. Plan out what exercises or machines you will use each day. Meet with an exercise professional or personal trainer to decide not only what exercises to do, but also how many repetitions to do and how much weight or resistance is needed. A medically based facility will provide you with an exercise “prescription” focused on your individual health needs and goals to eliminate the worry of not knowing what to do. When your only struggle is getting to the gym, you are much more likely to make the time.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Everybody and every body is different. We all set our own goals as well as take different paths to achieve those goals. If you see someone running faster or lifting heavier weights than you, don’t let it get you down; you are at the gym and that alone is an accomplishment.
- Start slow, be safe. When you start an exercise program, remember to take it slow. It is not about how much you can do in one day. It is about gradual and consistent improvements over time. Find a fitness center where you can meet with an exercise professional to decide what the best plan is for you.
Starting a fitness program is one of the smartest decisions you can make, but it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming one. By identifying your needs, having a plan, taking it slow and focusing on you and your goals, you can make fitness a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.
Advocate
BroMenn Health & Fitness Center, located at 1111 Trinity Lane in
Bloomington, is a new medically based fitness facility open to anyone.
It is open seven days a week with exercise professionals on staff at all
times. The center includes a warm-water hydrotherapy pool, lap pool,
group classes, and a 1/12 mile track. For more information call
309-433-9355.yone. It is open seven days a week with exercise professionals on staff at all times. The center includes a warm-water hydrotherapy pool, lap pool, group classes, and a 1/12 mile track. For more information call 309-433-9355.