Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Intimidated At The Gym? Don't Be: 10 Points To Ponder



You've likely been astonished or shocked by incredible feats of strength and agility at the gym. Maybe you've been demoralized by the sight of someone's better body. Maybe everyone seemed young and fit and you felt old and out of shape.

Many spectacles seen at the gym could cause someone to feel intimidated. The U.S. Constitution proclaims that all men are created equal- but not when they're at the gym working out.

Dumbfounding feats don't lay a foundation for fitness so don't feel intimidated when you see them.

Realize this: what you observe on any given day at the gym is sort of like reading only one page of a book. One page does not tell the whole story.

Moderation, consistency, and an intuitive approach to working out are your best choices, can happen in any setting, are available to everyone, and are not intimidating. Add perseverance to the mix and you'll be unstoppable.

Going to the gym is sort of like going to church. People who go there aren't perfect, but they are trying to do the right thing.

Regardless of anything else try not to feel intimidated. These ideas will help:

• Not every example should be emulated. Some examples are put in front of us to teach us how not to behave.

• Respect and your own journey. Someone else's journey is just that. Your journey is yours, and that' the way it should be. Regard you challenges as learning opportunities.

• Observing someone's behavior doesn't establish it as wise- regardless of physical appearance.

• Will it withstand the test of time? What you may never know is how long the individual will sustain what he or she is doing and what the condition of his or her body will be perhaps 30 years from now (or by the end of the day) if that pace is maintained too long.

• If lifelong fitness is your objective then excess works against a body and is not a good thing. Find your tipping point for what will build you up but won't wear you out- prematurely.

• Moderate workouts paired with consistency- over a span of time- can create a healthy level of fitness. Extremes should be avoided if your purpose is to sustain a lifelong fitness habit.

• Approach your workouts intuitively and make adjustments based upon the moment you're experiencing.

• Love your unique journey- treat your body lovingly.

• Athletes use fitness as a means to a goal-they're trying to achieve something way beyond fitness. We don't all need to be super athletes. Quite often athletes will go beyond what is healthy for the sake of achievement.

• Even though we are all on a fitness journey we are taking different modes of transportation and we're at different mile markers. Don't hop off too soon. Everyone who tries to be fit is a winner.

Fitness means different things to different people. Maybe you just want to keep your moving parts moveable or look better in your clothes while someone else is trying to become a champion body builder. The point is to do what's within your personal power to be as healthy as you can be.

The gym is a great resource especially if you've been injured because a variety of equipment provides alternate ways of working out specific muscles.

We learn primarily by imitating behavior yet we shouldn't imitate everything we see. Guard against following an example simply because you observed it- particularly at the gym.

Use the gym to suit your purpose. Or don't use the gym. You can be fit without ever stepping foot inside a gym. The secret of fitness success for each of us is to learn what works for us and what doesn't.

Be sure to include strength training along with your cardiovascular conditioning. If you train with weights then review your form from time to time. Going years without checking your form is a mistake. Even slight corrections can make results significantly better.

Don't be intimidated at the gym. Instead, love your unique journey. You are a work in progress.

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