For the average person, entering the fitness world is a big jump into cold waters — lots of toe-dipping and nave;-gazing with very little swimming.
Exercise can be a daunting prospect. Change and discomfort are intimidating but once you are in, the water is fine.
For years I undervalued the “getting started” conversations with beginners as they circled the dock, avoiding the water. Seemingly irrelevant questions sidestep the underlying issue of fear like: What shoes should I buy? Should I get my hair done? Should I buy some yoga pants?
With new shoes, new hair and yoga pants, they made the arduous trek to the TV room, armed with chips and soda, primed and ready to watch The Biggest Loser. (Note: Watching others swim while you lounge poolside with a drink isn’t the most productive strategy).
Exercise avoidance harkens back to our formative days. If exercise terrifies, chances are your fears are well-founded. I once had a nervous customer tell me that they drove to the gym four times before passing through the front door — not to exercise, just to pick up a brochure.
Depending on whether you were the one launching the dodgeball or the one deflecting it with your glasses, gyms historically trigger bad memories. Back in the days of tiny Adidas shorts, mesomorphs ran the show as the rest of us travelled back and forth to the optometrist.
Similarly, most fitness centres are designed for the converted and well-developed. Jungles of steel with a phalanx of reflective surfaces complement bronzed sinew but draw unwanted attention to rolls and bald spots. Welcome back to Grade 8 gym class!
Dredging up dysfunctional, formative memories after they’ve been systematically suppressed for 30 years may not be the inspiration that helps you discover your new self.
So what to do? Well, start by giving yourself a big hug. We haven’t made getting fit easy, have we?
Gyms are great for people who like gyms. Personally, I like gyms; my partner hates them. In fact, it’s pretty common for our clients to ask us to get them fit just so they can join a gym.
Once at the gym, you will find much of the equipment to be irrelevant, confusing or redundant. “Can you direct me to the machine that works my lower, outer pec? I need to look better sideways.”
Home fitness equipment is a great time-saving option as long as you know how to use it. (Likewise my computer is a mysterious, magical box that confounds and frustrates).
The best solution is to find someone you trust to clear the noise and point you in the right direction. No, not Oprah.
Understand and respect your comfort zone and start small — baby steps. If gyms terrify you, look for a more comfortable option. Jumping into the deep end is never the best approach for a non-swimmer. Just like surprising my wife with a rubber snake in the joke store strangely has never resolved her life threatening Ophidiophobia. (Look it up)
If you are going to outfit your basement, do a bit of research. It’s never a good idea to buy your treadmill, motor oil and bread at the same store. One of these three is not like the others — and simply won’t last very long.
If you get lost along the way, drop me an email and I will do my best to help. Common questions often find their way into future articles. Chances are your question will help others.
And I promise not to throw a dodgeball at your head for putting your hand up.
Paul Robinson has enjoyed 27 years as an executive, speaker and consultant in the fitness industry. He owns Kneifel Robinson (KR) Personal Training, based out of St Albert and works as a commercial fitness specialist at The Apple Fitness Store. You can reach Paul at paul@krpersonaltraining.com, www.krpersonaltraining.com or probinson@applefitness.com