8 Secrets to Make the Most of Your Gym Membership
By Anna Squires February 2
Apart from that ridiculously hard math test you just took, there are few things as intimidating as walking into a packed gym with your new member’s card swinging from one hand. “How does this machine work?” you might think – or, scanning the weight floor and seeing sweaty, grunting cavemen lifting weights, “What are they even doing?” But never fear! Armed with a towel, a water bottle, and fitsmi’s tips for new gym members, you’ll be rocking that Stairmaster in no time.
1. Get friendly with the front desk.
Even though it can feel lame to ask the front desk for help, as far as navigating the gym goes, they are the Yoda to your Luke Skywalker. The front-desk assistants can point you in the direction of easy, effective machines and trainers who are happy to give new members free sessions and tours of the gym. Take advantage of their advice – they can give you tips on avoiding rush hour, getting into the best classes and scheduling a free walkthrough of all of your gym’s cool features.
2. Start small; think big.
Looking around at the intense workout-junkies surrounding you, it can be tempting to go crazy at first – running on the treadmill until you’re airborne or lifting enough weights to make you fall over. But change is gradual! If you’re just beginning to work out, ease your body into exercise. Start going to the gym two to three days a week, for about forty-five minutes to an hour. Any weights you lift should be light enough that you feel a slight burn in your muscles, but not enough so that you struggle to finish a repetition.
Like breaking in those gorgeous new heels, fitness takes time – but even though it won’t be instant, you’ll notice yourself getting stronger as the weeks go by. That’s your cue to push yourself just a little more than the day before!
3. Buddy up.
Nothing says “I love you” like having a friend who’s willing to sweat it out at the gym with you. If you have a friend who also wants to tone up, find time during the week to work out with her. Knowing that you’re meeting a friend at the gym will keep you from slapping the snooze button three more times. Plus, exercising with someone who’s stronger or faster than you can help you to push past the burn and reach for new goals. And obviously that half-hour on the elliptical will go by way faster if you have a friend laughing with you at the guys who think they’re professional weight-lifters!
4. Forget your fears.
At one point or another, everyone has looked at an exercise machine and wondered, “How does this thing even work?” But never be afraid to ask for help — people at gyms are usually happy to help you learn to use those machines. All you have to do is flash those pearly whites! And even if you don’t want to ask anyone around you, all gyms have trainers who are paid to help you figure out how to work that crazy abductor or rowing machine.
5. Plan it out.
Just like you make to-do lists for school, writing up a to-do list of exercises before you get to the gym will keep you on track and help you to stay focused as you work out. Plus, laying out your workout equipment, a towel, and a water bottle the night before will get you in and out of the gym that much faster.
6. Beat the crowds – or join them.
Now that the holidays are over and people are lamenting indulging in that bottomless pile of Grandma’s homemade fudge, gyms everywhere are crowded. But it’s easy to dodge the rush hours. Most gyms are crowded during lunchtime – when office workers have a free hour to break a sweat – and the evening, from around 5:00 to 8:00 on weekdays, when teenagers get out of school and adults leave work. Bringing your gym bag to school and heading over straight after your last class will let you slip in and out before the worst of the crowds get there.
But if the only time you can get to the gym is during rush hour, don’t worry about fighting the crowds. Most gyms have policies that allow members to use cardio machines for no longer than twenty or thirty minutes if there are lines of people – and you can always stretch out or use different machines while you wait. Plus, sharing is caring! If you ask nicely, many people will share their machines with you while they rest between sets.
7. Take time to chill.
Although some guys make it seem like pumping iron seven days a week will give you ripped biceps, muscle definition is actually formed the day after you lift weights – when your muscles break down and build themselves back up. If you lift arm weights one day, give yourself one to two days of rest before you lift again; the same goes for legs. During that day off, try taking a salsa class, a cycling lesson or boot camp! Or just give your body a break. Remember, you have your whole life to lift heavy weights – for now, just enjoy the endorphin rush from moving your body.
8. Love that body.
The beautiful thing about being healthy is that it’s not about getting skinny – it’s about finding the right shape and size for your body. Instead of telling yourself that you have to go to the gym to work off that Heath bar you had at lunch, remind yourself of all the reasons why you want to exercise: to work off tension from the day, to release toxins, and to feel awesome about yourself. Going to the gym is just another way to be kind to yourself – so go out there and show yourself some love!
Anna Squires, free spirit and word nerd, is a high school junior in Georgia. When she’s not hanging out on fitsmi, Anna loves mountain biking or doing yoga with her mom, working as a barista, and whipping up vegetarian treats in her kitchen.
photo credit 1: lu_lu via photopin cc
photo credit 2: Giandomenico Ricci via photopin cc
