What stops you from exercising? I’ve been asking my clients what used to put them off, what stopped them taking action and getting started. Time and time again the answer is the same…
Confidence.
Or put another way – fear of what other people will think.
“I don’t know how to use that machine”
“I feel fat in my running gear”
“I can’t lift very big weights”
“Everyone is looking at me”
Any of those sound familiar? Chances are you’ve thought something similar at one time or another, and let it derail your good intentions.
Well I’m here to tell you that 95% of people aren’t looking – they couldn’t care less about you. But not for the reasons you think.Because they’re too preoccupied worrying about the exact same thing as you – themselves! The guy watching you run past at the bus stop? He’s not looking at your stomach, he’s feeling guilty – he promised himself he’d start running again and hasn’t gotten round to it yet. The person sneaking glances your way in the gym? Not critiquing your technique, but checking YOU’RE not watching THEM. Just. Like. You.
The 5% who are watching? They are not worth your energy. If you’ve spent any time in a gym then you’ll know that these are the same people who are way too wrapped up checking how their arms look in the mirror half the time anyway. Ever seen the classic wipe-face-with-top-while-checking-stomach-in-the-mirror move? Then you know who I’m talking about.You don’t know them and hopefully never will, so blank them out, focus on you and imagine yourself a month from now. While they’re busy judging, you’re working your butt off (literally for some!) and getting closer to where you want to be.Don’t waste your energy on things and people that don’t matter. Figure out what matters to you, remember why you’re doing this, get your head down and focus on the end game. On running the line at your son’s football game, or fitting in to THOSE jeans. You know the ones.
A huge part of a fitness coach’s responsibility is to put you at ease and build up your confidence. That confidence doesn’t just come from losing weight and liking what you see in the mirror, though that doesn’t hurt of course! It also comes from learning how to perform each exercise with perfect form, to get the most bang for your buck. When you’re confident that what you’re doing is exactly what you should be doing, those sideways glances don’t matter quite so much. We won’t shout and scream at you or shame you. But we will let you know exactly what you need to do. And if you do it, I can tell you exactly where it will get you – where you want to be.
If you’re still reading then you know exactly what I’m talking about. So make tomorrow the day you start. You don’t need to be breaking any world records, just set an achievable goal, keep it simple and get started.
Don’t put it off. I guarantee that if you do, when you go to bed tomorrow night you’ll feel a damn sight better for it.
Ian “Baddass Unicorn” Male
Ps. Take action and book your consultation with us today. With our help and support imagine where you’ll be in just a few weeks.
Tel: 07966844057