Lifestyle
Food & Nutrition
Fitness
The gym isn’t just an excellent place to lose weight and build muscle—it’s also your chance to make new friends and meet new people who you wouldn’t have met otherwise. If you think the gym is all about working out, though, think again. Here are five reasons why you should make the gym your second home to take advantage of every opportunity it has to offer!
1. Start Simple in Making the Gym as Second Home
A lot of people make a beeline for their local gym when they start an exercise routine. It makes sense, right? Gyms are loud and colorful and filled with all kinds of equipment. Plus, they’re open 24/7! Who wouldn’t want to work out in one? The truth is that gyms can be intimidating and overwhelming (not to mention inconvenient). For newbies, it’s often best to ease into exercise rather than dive in headfirst—especially if you haven’t been active in a while. I recommend starting simple by doing three things: walking daily, working on your posture, and doing strength training once or twice per week. This approach is easy enough for even those with minimal time or experience and takes advantage of our body’s natural ability to adapt.
2. Facing Failure on Your Journey
Let’s face it—failure is a part of life. The fear of failure keeps many people from taking risks and pursuing their dreams, but without risk, there can be no reward. If you want to make big changes in your life, then you must be willing to put yourself out there and try new things that may lead to failure. We all fail at some point—it’s how we deal with those failures that shape us as people. So don’t be afraid to fail; just make sure you keep trying until you get it right!
3. Give it Time
Getting into better shape takes time. Losing weight and getting in shape is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself as you work toward your goals; give it time and you’ll get there. Don’t quit too soon: It can be tempting to stop working out when you don’t see immediate results. Don’t give up! Workouts take time to start having an effect on your body, so keep at it for at least a few weeks before deciding if something isn’t working for you. Get rid of distractions: Put away all distractions—phone, TV, computer—and focus on your workout for the best results.
4. Educate Yourself: Knowledge Powering Your Gym as Routine
Educate yourself about fitness. Don’t try to reinvent yourself as a runner overnight; attend yoga classes, run with a friend, or meet up with a personal trainer. The more you learn, the more you’ll enjoy it and stick with it. Plus, becoming an educated consumer of health and fitness information will help you make smarter decisions in your workouts—like choosing an exercise program that works for your lifestyle and goals. Not only that but understanding how fitness works can help prevent injury—which is common when beginning new exercise routines since your body needs time to adjust to exercise demands.
5. Garner Support: Building a Community in Your Gym as Second Home
Have you ever seen someone at your gym doing something different from what everyone else is doing? Maybe he’s running up a steep hill or doing pushups with a weighted vest. If you have, odds are he’s an affiliate owner of a CrossFit gym and probably knows more about fitness than anyone else in there. Working out alone can be boring. Having other people around to support and motivate you can make going to the gym much more enjoyable. And, having others who share your fitness goals will ensure that they help keep you on track as well as provide motivation when times get tough. It also never hurts to have someone around who understands nutrition, too!
