The Reason You Don’t Show Up At The Gym

As a long time club owner, I have had the chance to see members come and go with varying results and levels of dedication. Many members struggle to stick with it and end up paying for monthly memberships, which are never used or canceling. Here are some practical ideas, which we notice with our regulars, who get results!

They workout at the same time every day.

They pre-book this time, so it can’t be replaced by another personal or work meeting. It is in their calendar, so when they look for a meeting time, they see that time is already taken and do not book something else.

They don’t go crazy

Our consistent members don’t feel that they need to blow the doors off the place with really hard workouts. They just show up at a set time and do what they feel like doing. Sometimes they push hard sometimes they don’t. (EG-They just got a promotion at work, so they ride the positive wave and do an extra 20-minutes of cardio)
Inconsistent members tend to build up a really tough workout in their head prior to getting to the gym, which usually is followed by talking themselves out of even showing up.
Solution: Just book your time, change and be at the fitness gym.

Diet

Consistent members, change their diet. Workouts can be quickly and easily ruined with one bad food choice. A high calorie muffin per day or a specialty coffee with whipped cream and chocolate can set you back. This will end with you not seeing results and deciding not to continue.

You picked the wrong gym

There is plenty of thought that goes into the types of equipment or classes gyms have. There is also a consideration regarding location. The key element, which will stop you from showing up, is the type of people at your gym. Gyms used to be called health clubs or fitness centers, with the key word being “club”. Gyms are still clubs and these clubs attract certain demographics.

As an example, if you are middle-aged senior executive, you may not feel comfortable at a gym with young muscle bound kids, who are into power weight lifting. Their social interaction and behavior might be annoying or demotivating. (Even if you don’t socialize at the gym, the environment will be a turn off)

Try to find a gym or club, which suits your personality and social expectations.

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Benefits of Playing Tennis

Many people look to start getting healthy by getting a fitness gyms membership, grab their bag, head to the gym full of enthusiasm and excitement to only end up getting there and feeling out of sorts.  Where do I start, I don’t know anyone, I am so out of shape compared to them, and do I want to get as muscular as him/her! These thoughts creep in to your head and prevent you from feeling comfortable.  While we all start that way, sometimes going to a gym isn’t for everyone.  Now Club Meadowvale tennis club offers you a lot of benefits and can be a great way to do something with a spouse, friend, co-worker, or child.   There are many benefits to play tennis, some of them are:

1) Physical Benefits

Burning calories is the fundamental goal of doing any exercise program. Tennis is a great way to burn calories, no matter what your skill level.  Caloric expenditure studies showed competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics, inline skating, or cycling. You’ll burn more calories in a mere half hour of singles tennis, than rowing, riding a stationary bike, doing yoga or playing golf.

2) Mental Benefits

Our brains need to be exercised as well.  Tennis requires quick reaction mentally as well.  Having to read and react to your opponent, tactical decisions while playing, and anticipating your opponents next move are all ways your mind is active while playing.

3) Emotional Benefits

We all have stress throughout the day.  Many times we will go for a run to relieve our stress, but spend the entire time reliving or planning our day. 

4) Networking

Another benefit, the social interaction. Tennis is a sport where tends to be in a club format.  People get to know each other, there is social interaction, and provides you the ability to network with different people you may not normally meet. you into the rhythm, use them periodically to help motivate, or use them for the first while to help establish a discipline. Exercise is an important part of our overall health.  Eating, proper rest, and exercise all contribute to our overall health. Tennis is a great way to get the exercise you need, but also provides that release of stress that will ultimately make your rest time more effective. 

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Simple tips to getting started at the gym

Everyone has that moment where they realize that need to start exercising.  Going to a gym, meeting new people, feeling healthier, and making changes to our bodies seem like such an exciting endeavor.  Most people think about it, but never get to the point where they stay with it.  It can seem overwhelming, intimidating, and sometimes an inconvenience.  Whether you're heading back to the gym after a long hiatus or are new to the fitness scene, here are a handful of tips to help you tackle the gym. Hopefully they will help you maintain your fitness enthusiasm for months to come.

 

Give your body the fuel it needs.

Your body requires fuel to drive the energy you need.  Too often people deeply cut out calories, then by adding exercise drain the body completely of its fuel.  The key to fueling your body is to ensure you eat small meals throughout the day.  If you're too full you get cramps, and if you're too hungry you can't work your hardest. Keep pre-workout snacks, eaten 30 to 90 minutes prior to exercise, mostly in the carb family. These foods should be easily digestible and should contain about 40 to 100 grams of carbs with a low amount of fat. It's also a good idea to keep the fiber content to a minimum since high-fiber foods can be difficult to digest.

Focus on exercising, not the calorie counting of the “burn”

Too often people get the gym with a number in their mind. “I must burn x amount of calories to make it worth it”.  In actuality, you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate long after you have finished at the gym.  Weights can keep your metabolism higher for 24-48 hours after a workout, helping you burn additional calories without knowing it.  The other issue is people focus on using the machines to tell them their calorie burn.  While Cardio machines are a great way to get your heart rate up, there are other great ways to burn calories and improve athletic performance.  Squash, tennis, and other racquet sports allow you to burn calories, improve athleticism, and make cardio more interesting.

Go to the knowledge when you need help or have a question

It can be intimidating to see that staff member who is perfectly sculptured and looks as though their body has not seen a calorie from fat.  Reality is they are there to help you and at one time were beginners.  They are knowledgeable, well trained, and want to help you.  When confronted with a weight machine that confuses you don't skip it or plow ahead and hope for the best — many injuries begin with this attitude. Instead, ask for help. The gym staff is there to help you and should be happy to show you how to work the equipment. They may be able to provide you additional tips, strategies, and that quick motivation to help you achieve your goal.

Free weights are your friend

Everyone has seen the picture of the 250 pound, huge armed, barrel chested weightlifter who looks like Conan the Barbarian.  Reality is that not everyone working out with free weights will look like that.  Free weights, combined with high repetitions will help you tone your body, not turn you into Mr. or Mrs. Universe.  Working out with weights creates toned, strong muscles. Free weights are far more effective then machines, as they force more muscles to participate in the movement.  Stabilizing, pushing, and balancing are required with free weights so many smaller muscles are involved.  Don’t be afraid to give them a try, if you are, review the tip above this one!

Rome was not built in a day, so don’t try to change it in your first workout

If your goal is to lose pounds, inches off your waist, or improve your overall fitness level then you should make a note of it.  However, it will not be completed in the first week at the gym.  Set small goals for yourself that will ultimately get you to what you wanted to achieve.  For the first month, set the goal of getting to the gym 3 times per week.  Then set a goal of losing 1-2 pounds per week, or 1 inch per month, or increasing your lifting ability by 10%.  Set smaller milestones that will get you to the larger goal, it will not seem as daunting a task.  Those small wins will be huge motivation for you, giving you confidence and more mental energy to head to the gym.

Be Reasonable With Post-Workout Treats

If you're heading to the gym to lose or maintain your weight, don't fall for the temptation of treats after working out. It is easy to rationalize eating fattening foods after spending 30 minutes on the treadmill, but it's easy to consume more calories than you burned. The best food post-workout is carbs and protein, but you don't need much and you really only need this if you worked out for over an hour. Be sure to drink plenty of water while at the gym.

If you can, work with an expert

If you are new to the gym, want to learn new techniques, or want to get some guidance I suggest you work with a personal trainer. You will learn new exercises, how to work the weight machines, how to push yourself, how to monitor your cardio, etc. Having a trainer takes the guesswork out of your fitness life. It could be for a few sessions to get you into the rhythm, use them periodically to help motivate, or use them for the first while to help establish a discipline. At the end of the day you are trying to accomplish a goal – improved fitness, weight loss, increased energy, etc.  It is important to find the right workout for you, so you are excited to go to the gym.  If you are not a cardio person, then running a treadmill will seem boring and painful. Substituting indoor tennis, squash, or even a spin class may make it more interesting and enjoyable.  Some people love free weights; others prefer yoga, while some prefer a mix of all the various options to create a powerful workout.  Whatever your fitness goals, joining a gym is as easy as walking up and getting a free trial. Try a one week pass and get started on your fitness journey.

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