Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 37
Thinking about
getting 昀椀tter for
summer? The gym
can give you useful
tools, structure
and support, but
you do not need to
know everything
before you walk
through the door.
The 昀椀rst visit to a gym
can feel surprisingly
intimidating. There are
unfamiliar machines,
unwritten rules and
people who appear to
know exactly what they
are doing. It is easy to
assume you need to
get 昀椀t before you join,
arrive with a detailed
program or keep up with
the most experienced
person in the room.
You do not. Everyone in
the gym was new once,
and a sensible beginning
is usually far simpler than
social media makes it look.
Before your 昀椀rst workout
Most gyms provide an
orientation or introductory
Start with a reason that
goes beyond summer
November is often when
people begin thinking
about 昀椀tness or weight
loss ahead of summer.
That can provide an initial
spark, but appearancebased goals alone can
create pressure to
make dramatic changes
quickly. A more useful
question is: what would
you like exercise to
help you do or feel?
You might want more
energy, greater strength,
better mobility, improved
昀椀tness, less time sitting
or the con昀椀dence to be
more active on holiday.
These goals give you
more ways to notice
progress than the number
on a scale. They also
support habits that can
last beyond summer.
session. Use it. Ask a staff
member to show you
how to adjust equipment,
use safety features and
choose an appropriate
starting resistance.
The Australian Adult
Pre-Exercise Screening
System is also used by
exercise professionals to
identify health risks that
may affect how someone
begins exercising.
Speak with your GP or an
appropriately quali昀椀ed
health or exercise
professional before
beginning if you have
symptoms such as chest
discomfort, unexplained
dizziness or unusual
breathlessness, or if a
health condition, injury,
pregnancy or long period
of inactivity may affect
your exercise choices.
