Gold's Gym was packed to the max. It must be that time of year when the dark and cold drives the hoards in for the smell of sweat and Christmas stocking perfume – not to mention the New Year. I was going to mock them, but since it gives me a kick to see others experience joy, and I sincerely want them to succeed, I see that their presence is in their interest and mine. So, here's how to make it stick:
1. Take it slow and consistent. Don't be like the half-dozen newbies I saw grimacing and grunting so hard their eyeballs shot out across the gym to pierce the mighty bums up on the stairmasters. Build into it. It's consistency that matters. Be in for the long run. I promise if you are consistent, you will reach a time when regular workouts are as important to you as breathing, eating, sex, and yelling at the guy who cuts you off in traffic. It is almost that way for me.
2. If you bump up against an injury, illness, time crunch, bad hair, no time for make up, an emergency, or forgetting a key piece of your workout outfit, don't use it as an excuse to jettison your workout. Figure out what you can do – whether it's time for only a handful of push ups and sit ups, five trips up and down the stairs in a nearby building when you have only ten minutes to spare before or after your meeting, doing your workout in your dress shirt or bra – looking like a scarecrow. Just do something.
3. Don't worry what others think. Go for you and only you – for the long run. Gyms are like churches: They're there for the people who most need them – even if they are inhabited by close-to-perfection gods and goddesses.
4. Don't let your job – even if it’s physically demanding – substitute for working out. This is important, because in today's mechanized workplace, most physically demanding jobs do not condition your body in a balanced manner. Instead, they overstress some body parts and under-condition others. Therefore, you need exercise to round out your conditioning and to give your body a break from the assembly line with its stressful, repetitive movement.
5. Don't depend on trainers, friends, and classes as your only motivation. (Note: I did not say don't get a trainer, don’t go to a class, or don’t have a work out buddy. You want them if that makes your workout more effective, rewarding, and consistent. However, if you depend on them to keep you going, you might struggle to get going again as soon as the friend stops, your class is changed or canceled, or your trainer moves out of state, etc.) On the other hand, avoid trainers, classes, and friends who push you beyond your individual capabilities and may have no wisdom or maturity to understand that while we all may need support reaching our highest potential, we don't need to be driven beyond our ability and into injury and chronic pain. Despite the hype to the contrary, we really don't all have the same potential.
6. Don't work out to look good at your wedding, for your 10-year reunion, or for that girl you want to date. Use them for motivation, but work out as a lifestyle choice. That way, you won't disintegrate once the wedding's over or the girl jilts you.
7. Make the gym one of your communities by sometimes spending a little time in the sauna, steam room, or Jacuzzi (if it’s clean), getting to know your fellow gym rats. Most things that we consistently desire is a sense of belonging. Your sense of kinship with the others at the gym will help keep you going.
8. Lastly, mix it up a little and have fun. While keeping it consistent, try all the work out crazes. Return to what works the best for you and don't forget what it feels like to be a beginner.
Loren M. Lambert © January 8, 2013
