You Were Gonna Start. Then You Thought About It.

So you found the gym.  You looked through the website, checked out the schedule, read through the class descriptions, and scrolled enough pictures and videos to get a pretty good idea of what goes on in there.  At some point, you even clicked the link to get started.

And then…you closed it.

You’ll do it tomorrow.  Or next week.  After you lose a little weight, get in slightly better shape, feel more confident, or figure out what the hell you’re doing.  Basically, you’ll start when starting doesn’t feel so scary.

The problem is…that day probably isn’t coming.

Most people aren’t actually afraid of working out.  We already know exercise can be hard.  We’re going to sweat, get tired, probably be sore, and there will be things we aren’t very good at yet.  It’s everything surrounding the workout that really gets in your head.

What if everyone else is in better shape than me?  Can I keep up?  What weight am I supposed to grab?  Where the heck do I stand?  Does everyone already know each other?  I’ll look like a dork.  Am I going to have to modify everything?  Is somebody going to notice how out of shape I am?  I’ll Just get in shape first and THEN join the gym.

And just where exactly are we planning to do that??

We understand it though.  Walking into a place where you don’t know the people or what the hell you’re supposed to be doing means accepting that you’re probably going to feel awkward at first.  Most adults aren’t used to putting themselves in that position intentionally.  We like knowing what we’re doing and being good at stuff.  Being the new person in a room full of people who look like they already have it figured out can feel super intimidating.

Starting AGAIN can be even harder because now you have something to compare yourself to.  You used to lift heavier, ran farther, felt stronger or maybe your body was just different.  There might have been a time when walking into a gym didn’t make you nervous at all.  Now it’s really easy to look at where you are and only see how far it feels from where you used to be.

That will mess with you if you let it.

The weight you use today doesn’t need to match what you lifted 5 years ago.  Your first workout back doesn’t need to prove anything.  You’re starting with the body, strength, fitness level, schedule and life you have right now.  That’s the only place you actually can start.

There’s another part of starting over that I think keeps a lot of people stuck.

What if you quit again?

You’ve done this before.  Joined a gym.  Bought the shoes.  Decided this time you were REALLY doing it.  Went hard for a few weeks, missed a couple workouts, and eventually stopped going altogether.  Do that enough times and you start questioning yourself before you’ve even given the next attempt a chance.

Why bother if I’m probably just going to quit again?

It’s easier not to start than it is to risk disappointing yourself again.  But not starting doesn’t protect you from anything.  It just keeps you exactly where you are.  And waiting until you feel confident isn’t going to solve it either.  Confidence usually comes after you’ve done something enough times that it stops feeling so unfamiliar.

The first workout might involve asking which weight to grab, having someone show you an exercise, modifying something you can’t do yet, and feeling like everyone knows exactly what’s happening except you.

Then you come back.

The next time you know where to put your stuff.  A few faces look familiar.  You remember some of the exercises.  After a while you know which weights work for you, what you need to modify and you aren’t thinking so hard about every little thing.

Eventually, you’re not the new person anymore.

So if you’ve been checking the schedule, scrolling the pics, clicking the link, and then peacing out because you’re waiting until you feel more ready, consider the possibility that ready isn’t something you're going to feel sitting at home thinking about.

Being nervous doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go.  Feeling awkward doesn’t mean you don’t belong there.  And being scared certainly doesn’t mean you’re incapable of doing it.

It just means starting feels scary right now.

Go anyway.