The Fear of Joining a Gym!
Recently I had a client tell me it took her 3 months to muster up enough courage to step into a gym for the first time. I know she is not alone! Choosing to join a gym can be a daunting task regardless of who you are. I’ve been in this industry for over 14 years as a personal trainer and coach and even I was full of stress and worries when I joined the team at Blended Athletics a few months ago. The truth is most of us get nervous having to enter new and unfamiliar environments.
The superficial reasons for this fear are different for everyone but they manifest themselves in questions like, will I be judged? Will I be the unfit person who just doesn’t belong? What if I don’t know the moves they use in classes? Am I going to feel like a failure and everyone will be looking at me? Despite the endless reasons I’ve heard there is one common denominator. Fear of the unknown! Even the thought of stepping outside the comfort of our current surroundings is enough to send many of us into a fear spiral, preventing us from taking action. I am here to let you know these are perfectly normal thoughts and fears to have. That being said I implore you to find the courage to take that first step. One of my favourite quotes is, “Change is inevitable, growth is optional.” Our lives are constantly going to be changing around us. It is up to us to find the opportunities for For those of you who are contemplating taking that first step into a new gym here are a few thoughts I will leave you with:
Most people will be quite empathetic to new members since many of them would have gone through the same emotional rollercoaster when they started. You’ll be surprised how many people will go above and beyond to make you feel welcome. One of the great things about Blended Athletics is that we all cheer each other on, it’s just a part of the culture.
We are all at different stages of our journey and while you may not be the fittest person in the room, it doesn’t matter! We are going to celebrate each step of the journey you are on and help you pursue excellence each and every workout. It’s not about being the best, it’s about being better than you were yesterday. Each step is a victory and you will be so glad when you look back in 3, 6 or even 12 months from now and see all the progress you’ve made.
A great gym has a great team of coaches who will help you understand all the movements and how to modify them around your injuries or limitations. The coaches will never make you feel like a burden because it is their job to make sure you are safe and effective in pursuing your goals.
Personally I was blown away by the support and comfort I found at Blended Athletics. The fact is when you find an awesome gym like Blended, you get a lot more than just a place to workout, you get a community that’s invested in continuing to pursue excellence and shooting to get 1% better every day, whatever that means for you. Regardless where you are on your journey, the community will welcome you and help you take those first steps towards your best self.