I've Started Going to the Gym

I really enjoyed the summer, the hot weather brought about many days and evenings of eating out, socialising and generally taking it easy in the sunshine. 

However, this long hot summer, combined with a World Cup where England did quite well, meant that naturally, there was very little time for exercise. As the summer got longer and hotter, the consumption of junk food, sugary drinks and ice creams got larger and larger. As September came around, and the reality set in that the summer would not last forever, I realised that things could not go on like this, I needed to eat less rubbish and start making an effort to exercise a bit more. 

Having been recommended a very affordable gym in my local area, I decided to join up, in the hope that I could exercise somewhere with no fast-food outlets or comfortable garden furniture to distract me. The thought of one day being able to run a half marathon sounded much more appealing than exhausting myself running after an ice cream van. 

I entered the gym for the first time and decided to try and walk in a very confident manner, pretending I knew what I was doing, when in reality, I was slightly terrified of this new place and did not have a clue. But really, there was no reason to be terrified,  many people were here of all ages and all abilities, with their own personal goals that they were looking to achieve. To get the best out of the equipment I decided to pluck up the courage to ask one of the gym instructors what to do, and what a friendly guy he was. The instructor was not judgemental at my below average fitness levels and more than happy to give me advice as to what equipment was best for me to use and what exercises I could do to build up my fitness. 

So far, I have been a few times over the last couple of weeks. After initially using a cross trainer that was actually not switched on, and being caught by another person after very nearly being thrown off the treadmill, it has done me a whole lot of good. The day to day strains of life can sometimes leave you feeling very tense and not quite yourself, but some intense exercise at the gym really helps to clear your head. Exercising allows you to come away feeling happier, rejuvenated and better about yourself. I have felt muscles being worked that I never knew existed and that World Cup takeaway sugary fat, which sapped my energy levels being burned away.

It is early days, but I do plan to keep at it. There is nothing to fear about going to the gym and you can feel it doing a lot of good physically and mentally. If you have never stepped foot in a gym before, I would definitely recommend it. In a lot of gyms, you can just pay for a one-off session to see what you think of it, some gyms also do free taster sessions where you can try out the equipment, to see if you like it. 

Give it a go!

If you haven't got time to fit a gym session in your busy schedule, why not try to walk more? Here are '5 Reasons Why You Should Walk More'.