I get so many questions from people who ask about my workouts. How did you get started, how often do you go, how do you keep motivated and how come you go and do so much. These questions are always followed by them saying I hate to exercise, I can’t do much before I’m worn out, I feel stupid at the gym and I don’t know the first thing about working out. All good questions and all remarks I made before I started.
I joined the gym before I started my weight loss journey. I would go and start on the treadmill for a bout 10 minutes then off to work the machines. When I say work what I mean is I would do a few until I got myself back over to the door and slip out. So my time at the gym was about 15 minutes. That way when my husband ask if I were going I’d say yep and move on. I knew a few of the women that went to this gym and they were always asking me to join them in the classes. No way was I doing a class it was an hour-long and I know I couldn’t do that so I’d just say no and look away. One day at a party I kinda got cornered to come to a class called Body Pump. I said fine I’ll come it didn’t involve any dancing you just had to stand there and lift weights. Boy was I wrong you lift weights alright but you do squats with weights on your back. I had no idea you could do so much with weights. I left the class so tired but funny thing was I wanted to go back. The rush I got from doing that class was like a drug almost like when I would eat high calorie foods. I went back and here we are today.
When I started Body Pump I made sure that I went every week. I only took that class and did that for about 4 months. I stayed consistent and never missed just because I didn’t wanna go. I started to see changes in my arms and legs I hadn’t seen with just loosing weight. I think what I saw were these things they call muscles. I hadn’t seen those in years. Soon I was asked to join the Zumba class and it went from there. Body Pump, Zumba, cycle, Body Attack and so on. I was at the gym every night after school working out.
In September of 2015 our ladies gym closed. I was so afraid that I wouldn’t keep going because I wouldn’t have the support of these ladies. Most of us joined 24 just down the road. That was great we never missed a beat, we kept on working out together and added even more classes. In January of this year I joined the 5am club. It was hard to train my body to work out early. I was still going at night and that was wearing me out, but some how I made it. As the weeks and months passed my body has adjusted to the double day work outs. I still do doubles today and love it.
Working out is a need for me. I need to get that rush from the continuous levels of classes. I need the support of these ladies. If you would have ask me 4 years ago if I would ever walk into a gym and work out by myself I would have laughed and walked away. I work out by myself all the time, it’s no problem.
Best advice I could give you if you wanna start working out. Go take a class that is easier for you to do. I promise no one is looking at you they are all trying to just keep on track themselves so they don’t mess up. Go several times commit to going at least 3 months. During that time watch the women around you. See who are friends and start talking to them, in other words make friends and feel the support. After you make friends you will want to go to the gym to see them. Stay committed, It’s easy not to go but its better to go and get your life back.
I do go to the gym every Monday-Friday and 3 of those days are twice. It is a lot and everyone doesn’t have to do that to get healthy. I do it because I want to and love to. Always get advice from your doctor and start slow so not to get burn out. If you don’t want to join a gym or have the money. Get online there are tons of videos that can lead you in working out at home. What ever you do just do it give yourself the gift of working out. For me I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to live. Have a Blue Happy Wednesday.
