Let’s face it. Everyone around us wants to not only be healthy but also look healthy. It takes effort, discipline, and consistency to have a proper body figure- be it a man or woman. We often find it difficult to manage this and hence we join a gym. But what next?

A little about myself here, I’m 17 years old now… turning 18 soon. I joined the gym the same reason why you’d probably join- to stay in good shape. Gyms usually have trainers where they guide you as a beginner. But if there isn’t, then nothing to worry about. I joined the gym just a week ago… no, I’m not a beginner! A couple of years back, I used to attend the gym but had left for some reason. Anyway, let’s get you ‘quipped!

How to get started?

Finding a place where you can have a good day’s workout is no doubt tough. Firstly, you need space. Make sure the place that you pick has a lot of space- space not just for your exercise but that makes you feel comfortable to exercise. Secondly, let’s be honest about it.

Nobody wants to just work out with everyone around- be it strangers or family! The only two options that I can think of is to either exercise alone in one’s own privacy… or join a gym where many others are exercising. With others exercising around you, it can actually motivate you to make more efforts.

Now speaking of others here, another thing that you can do to keep your mind focused is by joining groups. This can include Facebook groups where members help one another- like a community. This can be on other social media like WhatsApp too. I, on the other hand, haven’t joined any of the online communities.

The gym that I go to has its own club of members, in fact, the gym is named Club House Central! So if you’re joining the gym, take a look around and you probably won’t be too far from joining a group yourself!

You need patience!

I’d mentioned that you need to stay motivated in order to make this work. Why?

You see this guy here? Yeah well, there is no way you can be that in a day- cool off. It takes a lot of time and patience. As a beginner, it’s natural to get excited about going to the gym. But make sure you don’t push too much on your first day. If you have fat, start with jogging or simple stretching exercises. Do not directly go for weights (there’s too much to it, it needs one’s own experience to understand).

Just round up and make sure you burn around 400-500 calories (it’s tough for a beginner!).

Joining a gym is definitely a great move but let’s look at a few cons, shall we?

Ups and Downs of joining a Gym

The benefit of joining a gym is a no-brainer- you stay healthy, look healthy and get sleep more and all that… let me not emphasize on this aspect. The downsides, however, are something that you should know!

Weights

I did say earlier that weighs shouldn’t be taken up immediately on your first workout session. After your warmup (preferably jogging), you can mildly start with it. On the other hand, I consider this a downside because as you go on further with weights, it makes your body more rigid. Flexibility can reduce to a point where you can feel it difficult even to touch your own back!

Food Problems

Even if you had a proper eating diet before joining the gym, there are chances it might get disrupted after joining. Naturally one would tend to get more hungry quickly than usual.

Addiction

Last but not least, one can actually get addicted to working out. No, not with staying healthy. But building the body! Make sure not to fall into that because believe me… it's really harmful in the long run. As far as you're aware of all this, it's all good… now get your body moving!