About Me:
I’d love to say that I come from a sporting background, however I don’t. In actual fact I was the kid known as sicknote in PE, as I got older I became more interested in a busy social life than exercising and looking after myself. Unfortunately this lead to me becoming a size 22, weighing 18st8lb with a BMI of 40. I was clinically obese! I decided I NEEDED to change my lifestyle, improve my health, appearance and more importantly to me, my mental state and happiness. It was a hard journey, there were times when I felt great, times when I felt awful (and hungry!). But the power, confidence and control that I achieved were more than worth it. I became so passionate about health and fitness that now I want to focus my attention on helping you.
Anybody can be a gym member. Read our tips on how to be a successful gym goer.
Commitment.
OK, I know it’s a scary word to many people. If you are the type of person that starts the gym or a diet excited and with good intentions, but a few weeks down the line, everything else in your life becomes a higher priority, work, kids, dating, decorating the house, spoiling the dog, etc. It happens all too often, people suddenly can’t find the time to exercise, to improve their health, their happiness. The simple saying ‘if it means that much to you, you will MAKE time’ always springs to my mind in this scenario. On average, it takes 66days to build a new habit (In a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology by Philippa Lally). So add your fitness classes, gym sessions or morning runs to your diary, commit to them, make time for them, make time for yourself. Soon enough it will become as much a routine to you as brushing your teeth.
Find a gym buddy.
If you know someone, a friend, neighbour, sister, dad, anyone who you would like to exercise with, ask them if they are up for it. Working out together is a way of helping with your commitment, because let’s face it, nobody likes to let someone else down. Plus it’s easier to fit into your schedule if it is a social activity too. Gym buddies provide a powerful combination of support, accountability, motivation and in some cases, healthy competition. If you don’t know anyone who could be your gym buddy, try joining fitness classes, the instructor and group will provide all the support and motivation you need, plus many friendships are formed in these classes, so a new gym buddy could be waiting for you in your next fitness class.
Have a goal. Even if it scares you.
Your goal might feel like a million miles away, but break it down into smaller more manageable goals. Put a training programme in place, speak to a fitness advisor about helping you if you are unsure. If your goal is to run a half marathon, having never ran before, you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on any training runs.
Reward yourself.
When you reach and smash your goals, treat yourself to some new gym kit, a new pair of trainers etc. You’ll feel great and motivate yourself at the same time, winner.
Sleep.
A rest is as good as the work. People who don’t clock up at least 6 hours of sleep a night have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which contributes to stubborn belly fat. A good sleeping pattern is important when exercising. A great workout will promote sleep and a great sleep will aid you in your workouts. Aim for 8-9 hours a night for a full body recovery ready to start the next day.
Use a fitness tracker.
There are so many on the market these days. I use Fitbit. It’s great, it tracks heart rate zones during workouts, calorie burn, steps taken and even my sleep efficiency. There are community competitions on the website, or add friends who also use it and set challenges amongst yourself, healthy competition is great for getting people moving. Plus link it to Bounts, an activity reward app and you can gain points for working out, for clocking up your steps, for checking in at the Everybody gyms. And yes, points mean prizes, trade them in for vouchers (my favourite is Sports Direct).
Get someone to give you the boost you need.
Whether you need initial motivation, guidance and education when it comes to working out, or whether you’ve hit the wall and your training has plateaued. Hire a Personal Trainer. Book a block of sessions, commit to them, and more importantly commit to yourself. It is their job to make sure you hit your goals, to push you when you can’t push yourself anymore and to show you how much fun working out can actually be.
So what are you waiting for, don’t be just another gym member, be a successful gym goer!
To book a personal training course or session with Sam please contact:
Shavington Leisure Centre reception on: 01270 685551