"I Have Never Worked Out Before and Don't Know How"

 

Everyone has their start.  Everyone was a beginner once.  

Two fears come to a lot of people right away when starting their journey.

1. The gym environment is intimidating and overwhelming.
2. They are afraid of getting injured.

The gym can be an intimidating environment when everyone around you seems like they know what they are doing.  It can be an intimidating environment when everyone around you seems "fit" and you are not.  Trust me, you are not alone.  

Everyone has been there - even the person who is the most massive looking or "fittest" looking in the gym.  Those results can't be bought, faked, or built overnight.  They are earned. 

Generally speaking, most gym goers are fairly nice unless you're being a rude inconsiderate jerk in the gym. I'll cover basic gym etiquette in a later post.

The fear of getting injured is a very valid fear.  Injuries happen often when someone doesn't know what they are doing and/or they use bad form.

Anytime we give a new workout program, it will come with video demonstrations.  We also caution everyone to not let their ego get in the way.  START LOW with weights.  This goes for at home workouts too - not just the gym. Once you are comfortable with the movement and are confident in your form, then you can gradually increase the weight.

A great tool for checking your form is videoing yourself.  I know it may seem silly, but we even use it for our own form checks.  Plus, it makes it easy for you to send in a video so your coach can give you pointers on your form.

What are your fears about starting out? Let us know below!

"I Can't Afford a Coach"

 

Another thing I hear/see a lot of when discussing coaching opportunities is "I can't afford a trainer/coach/gym membership."

A lot of things are more expensive right now due to inflation, we get it.  Expenses are definitely up.

That's the key phrase - expenses are up.

That's the mindset problem.  People want to view a coach as an expense rather than an investment.

Before we get too far into this limiting belief, let's take a look at the definitions of each term first.

Expense: (source)

• Cost or charge.
• A cause or occasion of spending.
• The act of expending or expenditure.

Investment: (source)

• The investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.
• A particular instance or mode of investing.
• A thing invested in, as a business, a quantity of shares of stock, etc.
• Something that is invested; sum invested.
• The act or fact of investing or state of being invested, as with a garment.
• A devoting, using, or giving of time, talent, emotional energy, etc., as for a purpose or to achieve something.

The last part of the last definition of investment is key here:  as for a purpose to achieve something.

When you look at a coach as an investment rather than an expense, then your perspective changes.

Why not invest in your current AND future health?

Can you afford not to make this investment? Can you afford future possible medical expenses after making poor health choices and/or neglecting your health (both mentally and physically)?

"I Have Bad Genetics"

 

I get it.  Genetics do play a factor in overall health/wellness.  Sometimes.

Hormones play a HUGE role of course but those can be addressed with your doctor so not going to discuss that here.

Let's focus on the whole wanting to blame your "genetics" or say "it's a thing my family has" as a crutch.

Too many times people will just accept having to take a bag of medication with them or take ten pills a day as normal.

Sometimes things do happen to people randomly - such as my former healthy eater coworker who loved to run and workout but yet he had a heart attack in his 40's.  I get it.  Things can happen.

THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

What gets me is watching someone eat something like two jumbo sized honey buns while saying "my family all has diabetes which is why I do too." Or watching someone eat food with grease dripping off of their food (and their chin) saying "My heart problems come from my family.  Everyone has heart issues." Said person may or may not be sitting on the couch for six of more hours per day and can barely walk across the room without complaining of pain (just to add for dramatic effect).

Call me a jerk, but at times, it's hard not to roll my eyes.

Why do people not look at lifestyles of their family members with these conditions to see if there is a common denominator?  I cringe whenever I have to give my family's health history. I swear I've seen doctors cringe.

Random fact to interject - I started thinking about my own health after my paternal grandfather (in his 70's), my father's sister (60's), and my father (52) all died from Colon cancer. Oh, let me add my maternal grandmother is a colon cancer survivor. 

Maybe I'm too proactive or too much into research.  I look at the conditions that are "common" in my family and ask myself "What can I do to change this?" "What can I teach my children from this?"

Break the family "curses." Look up risk factors and how you can mitigate those. The body is a machine and it's a pretty cool machine when you really start to look into how it works.

"I Can't Stick to a Plan"

 

It's hard to create new habits.  

It's hard at first to push yourself to do physical activity when you really just want to go back to bed or home for the day.  

It's hard at first to plan ahead and ensure you have nutritious meals on hand.  It's easier to go to a restaurant or a drive-thru.

Both of these habits require a new mindset. Both of these habits require change on your part.

It's even harder if you have a history of crash or fad diets.  Those mess with your mindset as they are usually VERY restrictive.

It's harder if you have tried X celebrity or X social media influencer's cookie cutter workout program and found it too advanced.

Have you tried hiring a coach to help guide you through the process? Have you tried hiring a coach for accountability and to get all of your questions answered?

What's your history of "not sticking to the plan?" Tell us in the comments!

"I Don't Have Time To Workout/Go to The Gym/Cook"

 

The most common thing we hear anymore! No one has "time." Time is an interesting thing.  It's finite and can't be replenished.  Once it's gone, then it's gone. 

It's also one of the most mismanaged things.

Take a look at how you spend your time each day.  Are you maximizing it? Are you wasting it?

Challenge yourself for one week.  Log how you spend your time every hour (or half hour) of the day.  Review at the end of the week and evaluate. 

Did you spend two or three hours watching TV every night?

Did you stay up too late each night?

Did you sleep until the last possible minute every morning which resulted in being "rushed" out the door?

Did you hit snooze every morning when the alarm went off?

If you answer yes to any of these, then you may have a bad habit or two.

If you answer no to all of these - then you may need to look at priorities or if you have overextended yourself into burnout - which is a possibility. 

Can you wake up thirty minutes earlier each day to "give yourself" a few extra hours in the week?

It's all about how you use your time.

A few time management strategies to try:

1. Prioritize
2. Have a daily plan - use a planner or a calendar app
3. Block out distractions
4. Focus
5. Set goals
6. Set boundaries
7. Create routines

Do you struggle with time management or time to fit in positive and healthy habits?

Limiting Beliefs

 

This is kicking off our limiting beliefs when it comes to health, fitness, and wellness series.  We are going to go through six common beliefs throughout this series and how to overcome them. So check back daily!

What is a limiting belief?

A belief about yourself that restricts you in some way. 

Think about that last part for a minute.

RESTRICTS you in some way.  No one likes to be restricted.  Well, most people do not like to be restricted is a safer thing to say.  

What this is saying is YOU are RESTRICTING yourself through your MINDSET.

This can also be referred to as SELF SABOTAGE. Which brings to mind the phrase we use a lot - "Get out of your own way."

These beliefs come from a piece of negativity we have experienced from somewhere/someone AND out of fear.

Six Common Limiting Beliefs

1. I do not have time to (workout, go to the gym, cook, etc.)
2. I can't stick to a plan
3. I have bad genetics/hormonal issues
4. I do not have money for a gym membership/coach
5. I have never worked out and do not know how
6. I hate working out

Any of these sound familiar? Have you said any of these things before? Comment below to share your limiting beliefs!