By Georgette Valentini
Going to the gym is not something we all enjoy. Not only that—not everyone has the time to workout regularly. Still, here are some tips to never miss a day at the gym again (even if it’s not your cup of tea).
Realistic goals
Don’t expect that just by subscribing to a gym you’ll start seeing radical changes in your body. Sounds obvious, but many people actually give up after a few days of not seeing any noticeable results. But that’s not how it works: you should think this a long-term commitment to your own body.
Also, don’t expect that you can achieve all you want if you go only a couple of times per week. That’s not gonna take you any closer to the photoshopped photos you see in magazines—which shouldn’t be your standard anyway, seeing as they’re mostly fake.
In order to actually get results, you’ll need several months of real discipline and constant exercise, so don’t get frustrated if you don’t see changes a week after you start. Just don’t give up. Also, don’t perform exercises that might hurt you—take it slowly so you build strength before going too far. If there’s any trainer around, or if you have your own personal trainer, tell them about your goals (different routines are needed depending on whether you want to simply lose weight or tone your muscles, for example).
Perseverance
Don’t get frustrated at the onset. As long as you know that you won’t see results early, you should simply focus on sticking to your routine. Think about the first months at the gym as a kind of warm-up: a preliminary course that will get you ready for the next few months—by which results should actually start showing. You must keep at it and persevere no matter what. Persistence and resolve are key if you want to ever see the results you’re hoping for—and trust us, if you remain true to your routine, you will see results.
Find the routine you feel most comfortable with
And not only the one that makes you feel comfortable, but the one you like best for your goals. Remember you must have a particular set of objectives in mind: do you want to gain or lose weight? Improve strength or just look good? All these questions matter, and they will determine the path you should take.
If you want to lose a considerable amount of weight, then perhaps yoga is not the way, since yoga elongates and tones the muscles. Cardio would be your best bet in this case. It all also depends on your body type, especially if what you’re looking for is to gain muscle or drop a few pounds. You must always keep in mind the kind of body you have to determine the kind of routine that works best for your specific aim.
Pay for the month in advance
Spending money without getting anything in return is difficult. So if you’ve already paid for a whole month in advance for the gym, then you might as well go, right? This particular strategy will make you feel economically obligated to exercise, so that can really help to give you that extra push you need not to miss your day at the gym. Also, if you pay monthly or yearly, it’s gonna be cheaper in the long run.
Don’t compare yourself
When you go to the gym you’re likely to see it all. You’ll probably end up running into very fit and ripped people all the time, who look as if they lived there for the amount of muscles and lack of fat. They’ll be there when you come in, and they’ll remain after you leave. But don’t let yourself be intimidated: everyone has their own lifestyle and different jobs.
Not everyone can be as dedicated as they are, and unless you truly spend your life at the gym, you’ll probably never come close to their level of fitness. That’s fine—you don’t have to. Overdoing it in the gym is not good either. Just focus on what you’re there for and stop comparing yourself to others, lest you become discouraged for no good reason.
Create your ideal playlist
There’s nothing like listening to exciting, motivational tracks to get your heart racing at the gym. Pick tunes that really put you in the mood for pushing yourself to the limit. Think of Rocky and Eye of the Tiger, if that’s you thing—or any other kind of music that energizes you. There are also pre-made playlists on Spotify and iTunes if you can’t come up with anything yourself.
If the problem is lack of time…
Keep a calendar where you write down all available time slots for you to go to the gym. Remember when your favorite classes take place so it becomes a pleasure rather than a duty. This will motivate you to not miss for anything in the world, unless you’re really sick or something extraordinary happens. Still, missing your day at the gym will become the exception, rather than the rule.
Find a gym close to home or work
If you can find a gym that fits right into your daily routine, then it becomes so much easier to exercise as much as you need. You don’t have to waste time in traffic or going out of your way to reach it; and you’ll have no excuse not to go on any given day. Soon, going to the gym might actually become a form of stress relief for you to forget about your daily goes.
Find a gym-mate
Maybe you have a friend, a sibling, or a colleague that also wants to go to the gym. If you find a partner-in-crime for this activity, it’ll be easy to endure. The two of you can work as a team, motivating and pushing each other beyond what you would have been able to do alone. This does not mean, however, that when your partner can’t make it you shouldn’t either. The point is that you motivate each other to go, rather than give one another excuses to skip it.
Mind what you eat
If you really want to see results in order to find the necessary motivation to keep exercising, then you must take good care to follow a healthy diet. There’s no point in exercising for hours every day if you’re gonna eat nothing but carbs. You need protein, and the right amounts of it too. You must be especially mindful of not eating carbs at night, when the body metabolizes things more slowly.
Just follow these tips and share them with your gym-mates. They will surely help you reach those otherwise elusive goals!
Translated by Oliver G. Alvar
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