Expect the Start-Up to Feel Strange

Expect the Start-Up to Feel Strange

The first steps on the road to fitness can be bumpy, but if you know what to expect, you can install some emotional shock absorbers to smooth the way. You can assume that the first few sessions of whatever plan you make will seem really strange and difficult.
You also can expect to feel self-conscious, even if you are working out in front of the television in the privacy of your own home. If you join a gym or an exercise class, you very likely will feel as if everybody but you knows what to do and how to do it.
Everyone was once a beginner, however, and your fellow exercisers are probably so focused on themselves that they are paying no attention to you. If you register for a class, try to find one aimed at beginners. Not only will everyone be at a similar level,everyone will be equally confused.
Emotions aside, if you haven’t been exercising, you might be downright uncomfortable physically. The early sessions can be something of a struggle. After all, getting your rusty body parts moving is an unfamiliar sensation, and you might worry that you aredoing too much and straining yourself or doing too little and not benefiting. You will be surprised how quickly the discomfort—both emotional and physical—fades. That’s because every time you work out, you are remaking yourself into an exerciser, and you soon will learn how to feel what’s right for you.
Be prepared for a new you—not an instant new you but a new you refined over time.You’ll notice small changes. At first, you might find yourself having greater endurance or noticing that you no longer get out of breath easily. Your clothes might be looser. It might be easier to get into and out of your automobile. These are better indications of increased fitness than the weight on the scale. With every shred of progress, remind yourself that you are doing the right thing for your health and body shape. Soon, you might also realize that, no matter how much you dread starting to exercise, the negative feeling quickly melts away once you start moving. Be aware that you’ll feel physically better very quickly. Note, too, that the feelings of pleasure and satisfaction from a job well done (and a goal that is closer to accomplishment with every workout session) last after you’ve stopped working out.