So this is your first day at the gym. Maybe you decided to start on that New Years resolution a little late or maybe you just finally got the courage to go inside the room with the terrifying equipment. Don't let yourself feel too overwhelmed at the gym, it's totally normal not to know what's going on. Here are a few thoughts that I and many others have had about going to the gym for the first time.
1. What was I thinking?
You look around and see all these people who know what they're doing and you have no idea how any machines work. You're so close to letting this stop you from committing to your workout. But you remind yourself that you will soon be just like them and when the newbie shows up they will look at you in awe.
2. Did I not get the memo?
Walking into the room filled with bikes, treadmills and ellipticals, you see all these girls wearing super cute workout clothes. You cry a little on the inside because you're wearing an old shirt from high school. That's okay because tomorrow you will know the drill and up your workout game. Some think the clothes have nothing to do with the workout but look good feel good am I right ladies?
3. What am I doing?
You finally worked up the courage to step foot on an elliptical because it looked like the lesser of two evils with the treadmill. While looking at the settings you have no idea what any of them mean but you know you want to sweat. With fat burn selected you're on your way. At first it's not so bad then BOOM! the real workout begins and you stare at the time left and how many calories you burned in the five minutes since you started asking yourself what the heck you were thinking joining a gym.
4. Yeah, I'll try Spin!
Spin is all the rage this year according to the hottest magazines, so you figure you might give it a try. Everyone else seems to know what you need weights for, but you have no idea. You grab a bike in front so you can learn faster but boy that was a mistake. Quickly you come to find out the that front is for the professionals, the ones who breathe spin. All you can think is why this is so hard and why people think its a great idea for exercise. After nearly passing out you finish, better yet you survived.
5. I am never doing this again.
One hour and a butt cramp later, you have successfully finished your first trip to the gym. You decide to call it a day because you can't feel any muscles below the waist. Once you get home you just lay on the floor because there was too much exhaustion for you to handle. After feeling pain the next day you try and talk yourself out of going again. You say "i'm too busy" or "I was perfectly fine before I joined the gym." Sometimes it works and other times you just push through the pain and do it again.
Going to the gym on that first day is hard, but having the courage to go back on the second day is even harder. You have to force yourself out of bed because muscles are sore that you did not even know you had. You might decide not to wear socks because putting them on is too painful. You got this. Conquer the gym again.
