OVERCOMING THE GYM FEAR
On page 26 of today’s issue you’ll meet fitness influencer Krissy Cela. Now, I have a strange relationship with fitness influencers – I need them for advice and workout plans but all those perfect bodies and sweat-less, perfectly made-up visages just leave me feeling like a failure. After even a mild workout, I’m sweating profusely, red-faced and gasping for air. But I really like Krissy’s down-to-earth attitude. Her no-nonsense advice and easy-to-do exercises make you feel like you’ve really achieved something when you’re finished. She tells of her first experience in a gym, when she turned around and walked back out because she felt so clueless and intimidated. I know that feeling so well – even after years of attending gyms. Pre-Covid, I was a regular in my local one. I had a couple of routines that I’d mix up each day and I was comfortable with. Then one day, one of the weight machines I used was out of order so I decided to go upstairs where there were more of them. But that’s also where most of the heavy, heavy weight equipment was, and it was full of pumped up men sweating and grunting. There was one other woman up there and she looked as scared as I felt. I did a couple of sets on the machine I was looking for then ran back downstairs, where I felt more comfortable. What’s funny is, if someone was just joining the gym that day, they’d probably look at me and think I knew what I was doing, when we’re all just learning as we go along. The most important thing to remember when doing any kind of fitness is that no matter what level someone is at right now, they once had to take the first step too. If they don’t have the decency to remember that and be kind and considerate to anyone starting out, then that’s a flaw in their personality, not yours. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions – most people are only too happy to help, they just might not realise you need it. One of the (very few) bonuses of the pandemic is that you can now do so many workouts from the comfort of your own home so you’re not as self-conscious as you would be if you were doing them in person. I do find that I don’t tend to work as hard as I would if a trainer was standing over me, but it’s a nice way to ease yourself into a new class or discipline. I am looking forward to getting back to the gym when it reopens, but I’ve found a number of workouts I can do at home too – not least Krissy’s one, which you’ll find on page 30. It’s basic and you’ll be familiar with all the exercises, you just have to learn how to increase the reps and intensity to ensure it keeps working. Best of all, you’ll often find her enjoying a pizza afterwards – keeping it real.
Enjoy the issue.