Nine ways to "Just do it!"

Finding that you’re dragging your feet to workouts? Tired of exercise? Suffering from “gymophobia?” Get over yourself and on to fitness with these tips today.

“Wait a minute!” you say. “Gymophobia isn’t even in the dictionary!” You’re right, it’s not. But we’re glad we made you look it up, even if pawing through a heavy book constitutes the only exercise you’ll do this week. Gymophobia is a term we used to describe a fear of the gym. Probably for Mr. Webster, fear of the gym should not exist or warrant a dictionary entry.

Of course, reluctance to go to the gym is real. In recent years, American adults have made no substantial progress towards achieving recommended levels of physical activity or strength straining. A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that while 71 percent of Americans agree that regular exercise is absolutely needed, 86 percent of the adult population say they fear trying out or even going near the gym.

We want you to face your gymophobia point blank. Realize the popular Nike tagline isn’t asking for the impossible – Just do it. Get to work and totally put the following nine self-defeating thoughts completely and entirely out of your mind.

“I will look silly. You already do. You carry extra inches around your waist; you’re out of breath climbing up a flight of stairs; and you’re eating way too much junk.

Now picture this: an overweight person on a treadmill, four times a week? That’s not silly. That’s inspiring. Read about Richard Hoyt and Richard Hoyt, Jr. no physical handicap kept them from winning marathons and triathlons around the world. And they did not look silly.

“I don’t know what to wear.”
You didn’t know what you were going to wear to your high school prom or your first date, but that wasn’t going to stop you from showing up. It’s not about what you wear as much as what you do. Remember, people do not go to the gym to make fun of other people’s clothes. They go to the gym because they want to focus on themselves.

“It’s grueling torture.”
It will be if you work out incorrectly. That’s why our online trainers are here 24 hours a day to help you perfect your form, as well as design a fitness program that best suits your personal goals. Don’t forget, gyms, have coaches too.

Remember, grueling torture is being 55, weighing twice as much as your ideal weight, and being unable to perform even the simplest of tasks – like bathing yourself, for example. Grueling torture is being very physically unfit.

“I’ll be alone at the gym.”
You don’t have to be. Bring your spouse, or your best friend. Bring someone who needs to lose a bit of weight herself. Be accountable to each other. If your gym buddy can’t get to the gym on your set day, agree on a better day within the week that will work for both of you.

This is not a competition, but a partnership. You both will get better, healthier, and more fit. Do it together.

“I wouldn’t know how to work the machines.”
Talk to your fitness trainer at the gym will quickly get you acquainted with the machines. No one is expected to know everything. You might also want to checkout online resources before you head out to the gym. Know that proper alignment and posture is key. When you have this knowledge with you, you can't go wrong, and you get positive results.

“Okay, so now I know how the machines work, but how will they work for me?”
We encourage you to get into a specific fitness program. You gym coach should not only show you how to use a machine, they will also create the best program for you to reach your fitness goals.

“I’ll look like a total newbie.”
Headliner on a tabloid: MUSCLE BABY BORN WITH WELL-DEFINED CHEST, ARMS AND ABS. Do you think people read this and go “Wow! That’s amazing!” Of course not. That’s because we don’t expect babies to be born with fully-developed bodies. So why should you expect yourself to have the perfect body before signing up for gym? Allow yourself the grace and the humility to be a beginner.

“I’m intimidated by the gym gorilla.”
He drops the weights on the floor with a loud thud and flexes his muscles whenever he gets the chance, prancing around the mirror-walled gym. When you look around, the first thing you notice is how his gargantuan arms protrude from his sleeveless shirts. With a booming voice he announces how he thought it was impossible to bench press 145 lbs, but now he has just done 5 sets.

You can ignore his antics and focus on your workout. Or, go right up to him and say, “Hey, you seem like an expert. I’m an absolute beginner. Can you help me out with this machine?” Tactic #2 can help you gain a friend—a very useful one.

“Such a long way to go! How old will I be when I finally get fit?”
The same age you will be when you don’t work out. If you do choose to start working out, you’ll feel and look younger in a matter of time. How long will depend on the effort you put in, and how soon you start.

So start today! No better day to kill that reluctance and just do it then TODAY! The better, more fit version of yourself has been itching to be let out…so do that inner self a favor!