I'll be honest, January isn't my favourite month. I still feel like Christmas mode is lingering and with the icy and cold weather, it can be difficult to make the commitment to going to the gym.
I often see clients come to me or message me on Instagram saying 'I wish I could be confident like you' or 'I'm insecure about lifting weights in the gym in front of me' well let me tell you something, I've asked all those questions before. I want to share with you a few tips and tricks on how to build up your self-esteem to nail your workouts.
Are you putting too much pressure on yourself?
Not every workout is going to be your best one. Not every run you do is going to be your personal best time. Start off with small and reachable goals each week. Let's take the plank exercise challenge for a small example, first plank you do in your first week you hold it for 15 seconds. Then the following week you bump that up to 20 seconds...and so on and on until you've reached the world's longest plank holder challenge!
Another way to avoid putting too much pressure on yourself is to stop comparing yourself to other people. Whether this is on a workout level or in general life. You've got to remember everyone goes through ups and downs to get to where they are now and enjoy YOUR journey.
Scared of stepping out of your comfort zone? Don't be.
Ah, the classic 'I'm scared of lifting weights' 'I don't want to end up bulky' 'what if I'm not doing it right?'
First of all, don't be afraid of lifting weights. If you're following a workout plan set by a professional fitness trainer then you need to trust their instruction. There is no reason to be afraid of lifting weights - this is what makes you strong, lean and gives you that dream body you want!
Secondly, weights don't make you bulky. I can't believe we're in 2022 and people still think this! Lifting weights will build muscle, but that's not bulkiness. That's showing others how lean and toned you are!
With any exercise (or with anything now!) there's a risk of injury. If you're working with a personal trainer then they will correct your form to avoid injury, just remember it's not necessarily the quantity of the exercise it's more the quality.
Tutorials on YouTube are also quite helpful too, make sure you're not on your phone too much at the gym though - we don't want you falling down a YouTube hole and find yourself watching funny cat videos instead of working out!
Find something you love
There is no argument here that working out and exercise makes you feel good. So find a particular exercise that you love. This could be anything from a weekly Zumba class to get your sweat or adding your favourite exercise into your workout.
By looking forward to your session and finding something interesting and fun you'll find yourself prioritising this over other arrangements like going to the pub or the cinema.
Treat yourself to some new gym clothes (or any clothes?)
Ladies, do we need an excuse for shopping? Not really but now we've got one.
When I receive a parcel from my online shop I can't wait to get to the gym and show off my new sportswear. I also find myself working out better too as I do believe finding yourself a well fitting pair of gym leggings really does boost your confidence.
Don't be afraid to splash out on some high quality leggings if you can. There's nothing worse than leggings not surviving the washing machine so make sure you read reviews and fabric qualities on activewear.
Sports bras can be your worst enemy or best friend. If you're big busted and have had trouble with your existing sports bras then I'd advise going to a bra fitting service to make sure you're getting the right fit.
I hope you enjoyed our first blog post of 2022! If you're interested or curious about a personal trainer to help achieve your fitness why not click the button below to enquire about training with The Curve Coach.
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