Starting the gym…what to expect!

At some point in our lives, most of us will have a first experience of joining a gym. For many its due to new years resolutions or to “tone-up’ before that summer holiday we have worked tirelessly to pay for. In my opinion the act of joining a gym is one that can have the most impact on our lives, especially if we wish to lead happy, healthy lifestyles.

I see many patients who tell me that they go the gym and when probed on what they do many of them respond with a bit of cardio, some weights now and again. Now this is not to be frowned upon however I know that I would probably see much better results with patients goals if they adopted a few of my tips that I will be writing about below. I have also had my fair share of patients who have been injured due to specific gym related movements so here is some advice for those of you who are starting to feel some pain/discomfort when in the gym.

I have been a member of many different types of gyms and have been coached as well as self-taught so I believe I have a lot of knowledge that could help those of you who are either joining a gym for the first time or are feeling a bit stuck and don’t know where to go next with your training.  So here are a few of my top tips of what to expect and how to progress.

1. Invest in your gym.

• Many of us will join a gym that is the cheapest or closest to either work or home. This could be the defining decision that separates having a healthy or unhealthy relationship with the gym. Turning up at the gym and being greeted by smiling faces instead of a pincode entry door that looks like your going through airport security is a luxury, but can change your mindset without you even realizing it. Having well kept, clean and tidy equipment that isn’t dripping with sweat or out of order half the time because other users don’t respect the gym is another reason to choose your ‘house of gains’ wisely. Honestly I believe forking out that extra £20 a month for a bit of luxury will have you feeling much better about going to the gym.

2. Gym etiquette

• When entering a new gym for the first time most likely keep yourself to yourself for the first week or so before member start realizing your going to be a regular. They will appreciate you putting your weights back, wiping sweat off of equipment and being an overall considerate member.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help

• One of the things I see most frequently is people not knowing/using the correct form or trying machines that they have no clue how to use. If there is an experienced gym user close by I’m sure they will have no problem in taking 2 minutes to help you out. This goes for you girls as well, there is no shame in asking for help, you may even meet a guy who isn’t staring at you at every opportunity.

4. Get a trainer/online coach.

• I would advise every new gym user to utilize the many free promotions that most gyms advertise at the moment. This will be beneficial to you in the long run. But be careful, make sure that you don’t go with any Tom Dick or Harry, do your research and ask friends for referrals to ‘good’ personal trainers.
• For the more experienced users who need a bit of direction with training/nutrition and diet then I would advise getting an online coach. These can vary in price from £30£300 a month and you get what you pay for, but again do your research and choose a coach that’s proficient in the certain area of training that you are interested in. If you need any help in searching then don’t be afraid to ask me for referrals during treatment sessions.

5. Warm up/stretch/mobility/activation

• This is probably one of the most neglected areas of fitness, especially with a lot of my patients. Taking 515 minutes out of your day to stretch, warm up and do pre activation work will significantly reduce your risk of injury. This means fewer trips to the chiropractor and more time and money to enjoy yourself at the weekend. We now live in a society where you can type anything into YouTube and you can get 100+ videos of how to do things. Mobility, activation and stretching is exactly the same. A lot of this can be done on the floor in your living room whilst watching your favorite Netflix series or soaps.

6. Make it a lifestyle, not a ‘Quick fix’

• Joining the gym could be one of the defining factors in you developing metabolic syndrome at 50 or living your life to 80 still in great condition. That does not mean that going the gym wont come with its challenges, however when we see people who have made it a lifestyle, changing their diet to a sustainable, whole food, well balanced nutritional diet along with getting enough sleep and having a great work/life/activity balance, amazing results occur.

• This does not mean going on a calorie controlled diet, but making healthy choices, eating fruit and vegetables and swapping that glass of wine at night for a green tea or smoothie. Not staying up that extra 2 hours to binge watch Breaking Bad on Netflix, instead getting 79 hours of good sleep.

• When all of these are able to fall into place then all of the other ‘aesthetic’ reasons for joining the gym will magically fall into place. Getting that 6 pack you’ve always told yourself you wanted, or loosing a bit of weight from your legs/bum seemingly become a reality

This is hopefully the first of many blogs to come so please don’t be afraid to email our sport injury clinic with any suggestions on further blogs. I know this one is more lifestyle based but I will be writing more about Chiropractic, pain, injuries and stuff that you will be able to do at home to help.