This week is when we celebrate the ‘This Girl Can’ campaign...and no matter your age, ability, background or health, every person can get involved in sport or exercise in some way or other (trust me, even if you think it’s impossible, it’s not!!).
This blog will be a little glance in to the best tips that my colleagues (from AberSU) and I have come up with to combat lack of motivation and the terrifying idea of going to the gym or joining in a new sport for the first time (especially as a woman), but first, a little about me. My story starts in January this year when (6 stone heavier) I, like most, had fallen in to the sedentary lifestyle habits of going to Uni/Work, eating a huge lunch as I’d missed breakfast and not doing much when I got home. This applied especially when the weather wasn’t great. Or when all I wanted to do was to sit out in the sunshine. Or when I was feeling so down/socially anxious that all I wanted to do was to hide away from the world and everything in it. Then, in January 2016, something just clicked in my brain. I wanted to be that motivated person who goes to the gym regularly. I wanted to be able to play sports that I loved doing in school. I just didn’t know where or how to start, or even if I could do it and more importantly, sustain it.
Here are a few things that really helped me to go from practically zero exercise (and dreading it) to going to the gym 5 days a week and even joining in with the University Netball team practice. Now, I love exercise and can’t imagine my life without it. It’s not just helped my physical fitness but also I feel far more able to cope with what life throws at me now. I hope that these tips will help you to find and keep that motivation too.
1. Find an exercise buddy
This is arguably the most important thing to do and I can’t stress enough how much this helps to reduce the terror of going to the gym for the first time. This person doesn’t have to commit to coming with you all the time, but it sure helps if they are there to explore the new surroundings for the first time. Once you are familiar with the gym, it gets so much easier to imagine going it alone. Why not throw a question out on Facebook…one of your friends might be looking for exactly the same thing!
2. Really figure out why you want to get involved
This will act as your initial drive. It could be anything, from improving fitness, to indulging in a hobby, to meeting new people, or just to feeling better about life….find and hold on to that thought. Every time you are having a rubbish day, remember why you are doing it and don’t give yourself the option of giving up. Also, remember that you are a human being. Humans will have good days and bad days, the most important thing is how you deal with them. Choose to get back on the horse if you fall off, it’s a far better feeling than giving up.
3. Get involved when you least want to
This one sounds odd, because doing the opposite of what you want to do sounds awful but trust me when I say that I’ve found this to be the best solution to my lack of motivation. When you feel awful and just want to cry, or shout or hide away, use that negative energy to get moving. Nine times out of 10 you’ll feel so much better afterwards. Your lovely brain then sees exercise as a treat so you’ll find that you’ll start wanting to go even when you’re feeling yuck. Just get changed into your sports stuff without thinking about it and the rest will flow!
4. Buy a good sports bra
This sounds obvious but I seriously underestimated how much more comfortable a sports bra is compared to an ordinary bra. Most clothes shops now sell them for less than £15….money well spent. Also, wear what you feel comfortable in to the gym. I started off in a sports dress because I felt self-conscious….not everyone feels great in the super slinky branded sports-wear that we’re constantly told we should be wearing.
5. Find something that matches your budget
So not everyone can afford gym membership, but I’ve found so many other ways to fit in exercise / sports that don’t cost a single penny. Simple things like doing squats while brushing your teeth or drying your hair is a great one to remember and of course we live in a beautiful part of the world with loads of coastal walks too. Also, look out for community or University club training sessions that are open to everyone – I joined in with the University Netball team practice when they advertised a community session and not only was it great fun, but it also led on to me kick starting my gym journey in January. I wasn’t great at it but the girls were fabulous and so welcoming! P.s expensive trainers DO NOT make you go faster….as long as they’re comfy, £15 ones will do!
6. Haters are going to hate
Most people are far more likely to judge you in a positive way for getting involved rather than in a bad way. Be proud and try to focus on you and what you are doing in that moment. No one can take away from you what you achieve so stick on a playlist that makes you feel like dancing and just go for it!
7. Don’t compare yourself
This is a toughie. We all want to benchmark ourselves against our friends which leads to that nagging voice in our brains that says “I know I’m not good enough so I’m not even going to try”. Well, the only person you should be benchmarking yourself against is YOU so forget about anyone else and do what you can.
8. Celebrate wins
Even if it’s something really small at the beginning, celebrating your own success is important. Big change will happen if you stick at something for long enough, so find something that works for you and build on it! #Smallstepsbiggoals
9. Do something you find fun
If you like doing something then you’ll be more likely to stick to it. For example, Zumba is SO MUCH FUN. Nobody knows what they’re doing when they start off so the instructors are so much cooler than you’d expect with that. It may seem daunting but remember, everyone was a newbie at some point or other and as long as you learn to laugh at your mistakes then it will all fall in to place eventually! The sports centre have loads of classes to choose from throughout the week that you can go to alone or with a group of friends so there are no excuses!
10. No better feeling
This final tip is more about commitment. Commit to a month of doing a new sport or exercise. Just give it a month. That’s all. If it’s not working for you, try something different. If it does work for you, then there’s genuinely no better feeling than falling in love with how exercise makes you feel!
So there you have our top 10 tips - good luck, be brave and feel good. This girl did and I feel bloody brilliant….and if I can do it, then you definitely can!