It can be super daunting starting a new fitness class, especially if you have fallen off the exercise wagon. You’re probably thinking, “Will I survive?” and envy the oh so confident teacher. Well this might surprise you, but your instructor is sometimes thinking, “Will I survive?!”
Let me tell you, you’re not alone in your self-conscious, self-doubting thoughts…
Plucking up the courage to go to a fitness class for the first time is not easy but doing the class doesn’t have to feel like hard work.
Here are my top dos and don’ts for helping you get the most out of a class so you can actually enjoy it!
For a very long time, I saw having a massage as a one-off, a luxury, a treat. In fact, I used to say, “If I was rich, I would get massages all the time!”
Before the end of last year, I could count on my hand the number of times I’d had one done. I’d had a few girly spa days over the years and been given the odd voucher on my birthday or at Christmas.
Now I am having a deep tissue sports massage every 3 weeks without fail.
So, what’s changed? No, sadly I have not become rich!
What has changed is my mindset…
You might automatically think that the hardest part about doing a workout is putting the work in, right?
Wrong!
More often than not, it is the exercise part that is the easiest. There’s that old saying – “Your body can do anything, it’s your mind you have to convince.”
It doesn’t matter how badly we want to feel and look better, whether you are a fitness fanatic, a fitness-phobe or even the class instructor (yes, I’m talking about me) we all lose motivation from time to time.
Let me tell you why and what we can do about it…
We all know we should be getting regular exercise but how do you know if your weekly workouts are working for you?
Is your exercise routine as efficient as it could be? Are you maximising your results? Take this quiz to find out!
Hands up who had an over-indulgent Easter? Hands up who’s just had a lazy 3-day weekend? Hand up who’s going on holiday soon?
To top it off we have another bank holiday coming up hot on the heels of the last two!
It’s amazing how quickly our normal eating and exercise routines go out of the window when we have the luxury of time off. We eat and drink what we want, how much we want and whenever we want. We move as little as necessary in the name of ‘chilling out.’
Unfortunately, it can feel like a real struggle to return to normality.
Getting back on track need not feel like a big upheaval. Let’s face it, we’ve got enough to deal with in terms of going back to work after having time off!
Here are my quick-fire quick fixes for easing back into a healthy routine after a break, blowout or binge…
Regular exercise can help solve many problems. It helps diminish depression, reduce stress, improve flexibility, boost memory, increase energy, aid weight loss, better your heart health, and keep body and mind young.
However, it also comes with its own set of humorous difficulties. Let’s take a light-hearted look at the perils and pitfalls of working out…
You want to get back into exercise, you know it’s good for you and the class looks like fun.
You put off starting. Why?
You’ve created an image in your head where you’re the elephant in the room. Everyone will stare at you. Everyone will already know each other and no one will speak to you. You will be the only person over 21 with a dress size in double figures. Everyone will be super fit and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb struggling to keep up at the back.
Better save yourself the embarrassment and stay at home, right?
Well it’s time to banish these ridiculous fitness class myths once and for all!
I remember growing up and hating the fact I was so tall and skinny. I didn’t like the fact my height made me stick out like a sore thumb and I definitely didn’t like the fact I was taller than most of the boys at school. I wanted to be petite and cute, not gazelle like and gangly! I had no shape; I was just straight up and down. No boobs, no bum, no curves.
Fast forward to today and I have embraced all those things I didn’t like about myself. I feel proud of my body. I definitely put it through its paces every week! To think I spent so long hating a figure I now realise lots of ladies would like to have is really quite funny.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t parts of my body I wouldn’t like to change though. The majority of us would admit we would like to look ‘better’. In today’s society, everyone is striving for the ideal body and what this ‘ideal body’ looks like is always changing.
It might be hard work, but I do believe there are ways we can all feel more body confident…
