2. Find your place. Being comfortable at the gym is the hardest thing ever in the beginning. I personally love going to the classes and that's all I go to the gym for. You bypass the crazy athletic people using random contraptions that you don't understand and go straight back to your little studio room like a pro.
3. It's okay to not know. There's some things you simply gotta learn. Like how spin classes work. There's a whole system of signing up and claiming a bike-I haven't figured it out yet but am going to have to tomorrow because that's the only class I can make.
4. Reward yourself. Point blank, the gym is hard. Getting the motivation to go, completing the workout, and keeping that perseverance to keep going back even though your entire body is screaming no and holding on to the door frame as you drag yourself out of the house. So make going to the gym enjoyable. Treat yourself to a relaxing yoga class after a hard Monday at work, take advantage of the sauna, buy yourself your own pretty yoga mat, upgrade to some new clothes from Lululemon. If you invest in a pair of really nice $90 leggings, you're going to need to put them to use without feeling guilty.
5. Know your limits. If you do find yourself absolutely loving the gym, you have to know your limits. Allow yourself to be a beginner and give yourself a rest day. It's important to give those tired muscles some down time: a relaxing bath, a nap, some baby stretches before bed. If you overwork yourself then you'll most likely injure something or not be able to keep up in the long run.
6. Create an incentive. Sometimes going to the gym can just feel annoying, like, why am I doing this again? OH right ___! Set a goal or make a reward system. For example, to lose at least one pound in 2 weeks, to work more diligently on an area like abs, or after completely said goal, give yourself that reward we talked about. Without a reason to work, you're not going to want to work. My goal is to have satisfactory abs by summer and reward myself with a certain bathing suit I've been eying for a while from Victoria's Secret. (If they ever restock it again!)
If you're gym shy or haven't gone before, I hope this post encourages you! I've really been enjoying the classes and results from them.
Bonus: Most gyms give a great discount to college students! So don't make excuses!
x Claire