By Kim
Though I can definitely appreciate the obvious importance of staying fit, I simply think it’s just not easy to keep up with.
One of my most shamefully lazy gym memories happened during my second year of uni. While I was driving to the gym with my friend I’d managed to talk myself out of actually going inside and doing any exercise. Instead, I chose to sit alone in the car for an hour while she did what we actually came for. I am happy to say that I’m no longer quite this level of lazy, but it’s always good to see how far you’ve come?😅?
Since moving to London for the year, I've tried to make going to the gym as straightforward as possible. I've signed up to a 24 hour gym, so that if I ever decided I wanted to work out in the middle of the night rather than sleep I could (I never have/will). I've also gone for the multiple gym access membership to allow for flexibility.
So I‘ve removed every possible excuse I could make for myself, but despite the steps I’ve taken so far make going to the gym simple AF, I‘m still not very good at keeping it up.
Things standing between me and exercise:
My exceptional ability to talk myself out of doing things
A top talent of mine!! (see paragraph 2, remained sat in car)
Intimidation in the gym
I enjoy the weights section the most at the gym - but it’s easy to feel unnerved in a room full of people twice your size that look like they know exactly what they’re doing.
The first time I used a Leg Press loaded using plates instead of a pin, I had no idea how heavy I could go. This resulted in me loading too much, (don’t do this) and instead of acknowledging that this weight was too heavy for me, I finished all my reps while ignoring the sounds of my knees crunching under the strain (definitely do not do this). I‘m realising that looking like you don’t know what you’re doing really isn’t a big deal, as chances are no one’s watching, or they’re just keeping an eye to see when they can get on that machine next
However, there are some things that make a trip to the gym that little bit easier, and these are the things I’ll try and do more often to maintain the habit from now on.
Things that make going to the gym a breeze:
Working out with someone
Whether that’s someone who really knows what they’re doing, like our friend Harry, (@symonds.pt on IG) a PT in training, who pushes you to your limits/the brink of tears. Or whether it's someone on the same level as yourself, where you can have a laugh and figure things out together. Either way, these sessions are always enjoyable and definitely take away the temptation to skip the gym and have a nap instead.
Find a fitness class you actually enjoy
Often I assume that I haven’t got the stamina to even make it through one of these classes without feeling faint and seeing white spots in my eyes. But every once in a while, I’ll make my way into the back of a class, where I can struggle to keep up in peace. This weekend, I went to a spin class for the first time in well over a year with the liveliest instructor and most energetic atmosphere. Even though it was ridiculously difficult, I reckon it’s something that I could keep up because of how enjoyable it actually was. It was basically like dancing at a club, except everybody was on stationary bikes and no one was drunk🤞.
Making the most of your phone
I've downloaded the Fitbod app which can send you notifications of workouts that it creates for you, and provides lots of options of new exercises to try out. I have to say it gets very easy to ignore these notifications if you only actually go to the gym once a month - but I‘d still recommend this app, even in its free version!
Also, I can’t forget the gem that is Spotify. Whether it be listening to a ready made workout playlist or my own music, I love having control over what I‘m listening to instead of the songs played over the speakers in the gym which get old very, very quickly.
The main purpose of this post was to make a starting point on a (hopefully) consistent fitness journey and to encourage anyone that needed a little motivation to join in. I’ll be making an effort to do more of the things that I find make the gym a more enjoyable experience and will be back to talk about this topic some more in a couple of months!
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| @melissaswardobe, a mood |
One of my most shamefully lazy gym memories happened during my second year of uni. While I was driving to the gym with my friend I’d managed to talk myself out of actually going inside and doing any exercise. Instead, I chose to sit alone in the car for an hour while she did what we actually came for. I am happy to say that I’m no longer quite this level of lazy, but it’s always good to see how far you’ve come?😅?
Since moving to London for the year, I've tried to make going to the gym as straightforward as possible. I've signed up to a 24 hour gym, so that if I ever decided I wanted to work out in the middle of the night rather than sleep I could (I never have/will). I've also gone for the multiple gym access membership to allow for flexibility.
So I‘ve removed every possible excuse I could make for myself, but despite the steps I’ve taken so far make going to the gym simple AF, I‘m still not very good at keeping it up.
Things standing between me and exercise:
My exceptional ability to talk myself out of doing things
A top talent of mine!! (see paragraph 2, remained sat in car)
Intimidation in the gym
I enjoy the weights section the most at the gym - but it’s easy to feel unnerved in a room full of people twice your size that look like they know exactly what they’re doing.
The first time I used a Leg Press loaded using plates instead of a pin, I had no idea how heavy I could go. This resulted in me loading too much, (don’t do this) and instead of acknowledging that this weight was too heavy for me, I finished all my reps while ignoring the sounds of my knees crunching under the strain (definitely do not do this). I‘m realising that looking like you don’t know what you’re doing really isn’t a big deal, as chances are no one’s watching, or they’re just keeping an eye to see when they can get on that machine next
However, there are some things that make a trip to the gym that little bit easier, and these are the things I’ll try and do more often to maintain the habit from now on.
Things that make going to the gym a breeze:
Working out with someone
Whether that’s someone who really knows what they’re doing, like our friend Harry, (@symonds.pt on IG) a PT in training, who pushes you to your limits/the brink of tears. Or whether it's someone on the same level as yourself, where you can have a laugh and figure things out together. Either way, these sessions are always enjoyable and definitely take away the temptation to skip the gym and have a nap instead.
Find a fitness class you actually enjoy
Often I assume that I haven’t got the stamina to even make it through one of these classes without feeling faint and seeing white spots in my eyes. But every once in a while, I’ll make my way into the back of a class, where I can struggle to keep up in peace. This weekend, I went to a spin class for the first time in well over a year with the liveliest instructor and most energetic atmosphere. Even though it was ridiculously difficult, I reckon it’s something that I could keep up because of how enjoyable it actually was. It was basically like dancing at a club, except everybody was on stationary bikes and no one was drunk🤞.
Making the most of your phone
I've downloaded the Fitbod app which can send you notifications of workouts that it creates for you, and provides lots of options of new exercises to try out. I have to say it gets very easy to ignore these notifications if you only actually go to the gym once a month - but I‘d still recommend this app, even in its free version!
Also, I can’t forget the gem that is Spotify. Whether it be listening to a ready made workout playlist or my own music, I love having control over what I‘m listening to instead of the songs played over the speakers in the gym which get old very, very quickly.
The main purpose of this post was to make a starting point on a (hopefully) consistent fitness journey and to encourage anyone that needed a little motivation to join in. I’ll be making an effort to do more of the things that I find make the gym a more enjoyable experience and will be back to talk about this topic some more in a couple of months!
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