If you aren’t comfortable, you won’t stick with it
Have you uncovered your gateway exercise?
What’s a gateway exercise you ask? Pretty much any physical activity that gets you hooked and leads you to a habit of better health. It’s that first positive workout that inspires you to show up a second time and a third.
Anyone who’s had a ‘bad trip’ in the gym knows that one negative experience can derail the whole thing.
If you’re just getting started (or re-started), here are a few pointers that could affect the “stickiness” of you new endeavours.
NO PAIN, NO PAIN
Anyone who has experienced a painful trip to the dentist knows it can leave a bad taste in your mouth (note to self: puns are seldom funny). Pain leads to fear. Fear leads to avoidance.
Probably the most important ingredient to exercise success is making your first visits easy.
If your introduction to exercise is a five-km fun run (that isn’t all that fun) or a complicated Latin fitness class, you can end up feeling sore and embarrassed. Busy weight rooms are no less terrifying.
Make your first outing comfortable and easy. Show up, bring a friend, poke around a little, go home.
With the pressure to assimilate removed, it becomes more about the experience and less about effort and performance.
DETOUR AHEAD
Think about all the things that get in the way of your workout. Drive time, child care, parking, facility access, busy locker rooms, semi-public nudity, treadmill lineups, intimidation, etc. If you’re on the edge of a workout precipice, these barriers can become handy excuses for truancy.
Do research prior to embarking on your exercise journey. Make sure that participation is easy, accessible and comfortable.
Before committing to a costly annual membership, drop by during the time you plan on exercising. Most fitness centres have similar busy times. I bet you can guess what they are. Can you find a parking spot? How busy was reception, the locker-room and fitness centre? Did the spin class have any available seats? If your visit (workout not included) takes more time than you are willing to give, find something more convenient.
The buck stops where? If you were a driven A type, with laser focus and clenched jaw, you would already be exercising.
When you can’t rely on that little voice in your head, external accountability can be the key to success. Not only are personal trainers great exercise Sherpas but, more importantly, they hold you to task. Similarly, people who have a workout buddy significantly increase participation.
Hiding in a sea of Zumba participants or wandering nameless in the fitness centre doesn’t get you noticed ... although that may be your strategy.
Consistency often comes from being accountable to someone who is waiting for you at the other end.
ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY?
Gyms are scary places.
I’ve worked with many reception staff and even general managers who aren’t comfortable venturing into their own fitness centres. Image how you feel.
Boutique and private personal training studios provide tailormade private and semi-private options for gym-phobics. They promote inclusion and comfort for all levels and abilities. If you have questions or concerns, chances are the boss is only an arm’s-length away.
Not only can an intimate environment make you feel comfortable, but it usually speeds up results because staff are familiar with each individual client.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Travel time, child care issues and intimidation go out the window when you have a home gym. I’m not talking a gleaming construct giving tribute to the fitness gods. Body weight exercises and a few strategically selected free weights can save bucks and produce great results.
A good trainer can help with equipment selection and exercise design. It’s a great investment that can be developed in stages. Most trainers offer a variety of payment packages, which allows for monthly checkups that keep you on track.
Before pulling on your gym shoes, spend some time planning your winning gateway strategy. Make things comfortable, seamless and accessible. Jumping in without knowing what’s under the surface can lead to big disappointment down the road.