Around 6 weeks ago I signed up for membership with a local Sports Direct gym as they had a great offer of a month free and no sign up fee. Six weeks on and I finally plucked up the courage to venture down there and get stuck in!
I'm not afraid of gyms, but the last one I went to at a local college was far too young and cool and I just felt like such an old frump around lots of giggly 16 year olds smooching in the pool, that I didn't go for long. So far (touch wood), this one has been super friendly, with lovely staff and regular people of all ages and abilities. Phew.
I really jumped in the deep end this week (literally), as someone with pretty bad anxiety when it comes to new things, but actually going to the gym I'm paying for and using it! Crazy behaviour I know, but this 7 stone won't lose itself and I really want to be super strong!
So on day one I decide to go for a swim but instead found myself in an Aqua fit class, which having not really done any exercise for a good ten years, was a little tough in parts but I carried on for all 45 minutes without stopping and felt absolutely amazing afterwards! The next day I booked in for a brand new class at Sports Direct Gyms which is called 'bands', a 45 minute work out based around resistance bands. I'd never tried anything like it before so had no idea what to expect and in all honestly I thought I was going to die, I was sweating like an absolute machine and although I did a few things in a lower impact way, I managed to do the whole class. Really, it's totally above where I'm at now and I was easily the biggest one there by about 4 dress sizes, but I didn't care one bit and I shook my booty, bounced and stretched that band until the end.
This is where it kind of goes from out my comfort zone to WAY out the zone. As the class was a new one, they wanted to take pictures during the session to use on the website. I imagine I may be cropped out, but I decided to say yes to it because I figured that A) it was brave and I'm trying to do that more and B) if I happened to be shown in the pictures used, someone just like me may see it and think 'well if she can do it so can I'. Most gym adverts and things are packed with super fit muscle bods and I'm sure the idea is that people will see those people and think 'I want to look like that' and sign up. Does that work though? I think in reality, the thought of going to a gym or class and everyone looking like that is pretty daunting and in reality, in a regular gym, in a regular town, there's not many people like that so I think it's always good to show a variety of ages, shapes and sizes.
So after my sweaty red face wobbly spandex bands class, I decided to head straight for the next Aqua fit class while I could still walk. The Aqua after bands felt like a spa treatment and somehow I was able to go at it and keep up til the end even more so than the day before.
Honestly if I could list some of the things I hate like new places, tight slinky clothing, crazy amounts of exercise and having my photo taken in public, I really did well conquering them this week. My anxiety is better than it used to be, but it's always there to some degree and I'm so pleased I finally braved this and got stuck in. I really enjoyed the classes and when I came out I felt incredible. I know people talk about endorphins, but when you really feel them like that it's so motivating.
I'm hoping to get back to Aqua fit next week as well as a couple of other classes and a gym or swim session. There's yoga, pilates and yogalates (what is that?) as well as Zumba, so I'm sure I will find some more that I enjoy and hopefully get stuck into the gym too. I've seen punch bags which I'm very excited to try out! I've also got my mountain bike sorted and been shopping for my helmet today, so there's no stopping me this summer!
So if you're reading this and you're also a bit wobbly, a bit older than a lot of gym bunnies and a little terrified of anything that involves moving in public, I'd say this is so worth giving a try. Instead of watching myself bouncing around in the mirror and feeling down, I just thought that I'm a work in progress and I'm there doing it and getting started. I'm actually pretty proud of myself!
Are you a gym fan or do you avoid them like the plague?
