Getting ready to be in shape is every year, one of the most common habits among Costa Ricans. And, in addition, we are clear that the best way to do it is in a gym. It is impressive how these types of establishments have proliferated in recent years.
If you too have challenged yourself to get in shape at the gym – but you cannot, here are some tips that will help you a lot:
1. Find your own motivation
Without motivation, you will not be able to last more than a couple of days. So the first step is to find that motivation.
What usually works to find it is to think of marked goals such as losing weight, toning muscles, improving our breathing capacity, optimizing our flexibility, among other goals. It is very common to set unrealistic goals that will disappoint us when we do not reach them; for example, lose 10 kilos in a month.
2. Choose a good gym
The gym also has a lot to tell you about your motivation. A gym with machines that are very old, that is not clean, that hardly has classes and its fees are very high, will not exactly invite you to go every day.
Things change if it is a modern center, equipped with the latest technology in machines, clean and tidy, with an interesting number of classes to be able to go to the one we most want. The schedule also matters; the best gyms usually have fairly long opening hours, in order to adapt to the obligations that each user has.
3. Get the right gear
A good team can also help you stay motivated. For starters, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on advanced equipment. The truth is that with some sportswear, and good shoes, it should be more than enough. But yes, make sure that the latter are breathable.
Little by little, you can include some accessories or wearables that will help you stay motivated. For example, with a smartwatch you can monitor all the details of the training, so that you are aware of the progress you are making.
4. Ask a coach for help
A mistake, which will take you away from your goals of getting in shape, is trying to train on your own without having a plan. The interesting thing is to look for the trainer to explain the movements you can do, and the most recommended machines based on your needs.
It is normal that at first it seems difficult to start a routine in the gym, so you need a trainer to help you establish it. This will be in charge of making a personalized routine based on your goals, needs and any restrictions you have.
5. Demand what you can bear
Many think that the only way to get fit in the gym is to go every day and do as much as possible, when these over-exertions can be counterproductive and cause serious injuries. The first thing you have to do is learn the basic training techniques and respect the recovery times.
If you are not getting the moves right, or if you do not wait long enough to recover, you can do a lot of damage. This also implies spending 1 or 2 days a week to rest, without doing any sport.
6. The importance of warming up
The first piece of advice the trainer will give you is to warm up your muscles enough to avoid injury. For example, if we are talking about a day in which you are going to do a leg workout, it would be interesting to start using the treadmill, the elliptical or the bicycle for a minimum time of 5-10 minutes. This ensures that your muscles are fully prepared for overexertion.
If you have doubts about whether you are warming up enough, do not hesitate to transmit them to your coach. He will be in charge of guiding you throughout the process.
7. Monitor your progress
You’re not always going to see results in the mirror, but the numbers don’t lie. Some wearables can help you with this. For example, if you are losing weight, you could get a smart scale that will record your measurements in a mobile phone app. In addition to giving you your weight, it will also indicate other values such as BMI, amount of water in the body, bone densitometry, etc.
In the same way, remember to take your measurements with a sewing meter and take photos to see the comparison of “Before” and “After” and thus see differences. If you follow these 7 realistic tips, you will see how you manage to get in shape.
