Image: Campus Rec via WCUPA Campus Recreation
As someone who had spent very little time in a gym before this school year, the idea of going consistently seemed like more work than I was ready for. No matter how much I wanted to stay physically active and get on a good schedule, I found any reason to not go.
Back in high school, there were 100,000 other things I wanted to do besides go to the gym. The main reason I didn’t go in high school was because of money, and I wasn’t willing to spend that money for a membership if I wasn’t dead set on going everyday. There was also a problem with getting there, and when I would go, I was busy with school work, a job and hanging out with friends, so everyday I’d have to give up one of those things to go to the gym — and that wasn’t ever going to happen. I could’ve woken up early, but I was already getting up at 6:00 a.m., so I wasn’t going to wake up any earlier than that. In my head I had 1,000 excuses to not go to the gym, but since I’ve gotten to college, I’ve run out of excuses.
I don’t have to pay for the gym since its fee is included in tuition, I don’t have to drive to it and I don’t have to wake up early anymore. Why should I not go? After the first few days, I started asking myself this question more and more, so I started talking to other people.
When I talked with other students it felt as if they had already come up with new excuses to not go. The main excuse being homework, which in some instances is fair since that is more important than going to the gym everyday, but even through the homework I was going to try. I finally got my stuff together and decided it was time to go.
The first time was very strange as I just tried to get used to everything. I went with someone who knew what they were doing, and I couldn’t imagine trying to figure all that equipment out by myself.
After a while though of going consistently with one break day every week, it all started to make more sense. I got used to the schedule and all the equipment which allowed me to understand more about my limits and where I feel most comfortable. Eventually I started going by myself and found myself becoming even more acclimated to the gym environment.
The best thing is to take everything very slowly when trying to learn. Don’t grab the biggest weight you can carry and just start lifting. That’s going to get you nowhere. Learning the correct form, how to use the equipment correctly, what’s most comfortable for you and what’s most effective for you are the core pieces. Once you figure out what works best for you, the gym can become a very safe place to work on yourself and can almost be therapeutic. Also curating and maintaining a schedule that works for you is essential, as long as you don’t take it too far.
You have to go enough times to where you can actually grow, but not too much to where your body becomes fatigued. With everything there is a limit, and you can’t let yourself get too carried away. Doing this is the easiest way to not only hurt yourself physically, but mentally scar you from going back to the gym. That’s why you never compare yourself to other gym-goers, because what works for them is different than what works for you. Use the weights that best fit your workouts, and I promise over time you will see growth.
Don’t let this growth go to your head though. It’s going to take some time before you see any real growth, but you just have to be patient. I’ve been going for six weeks and I’ve seen very minimal growth, but if you’re considering going don’t let that deter you.
Going to the gym has helped me feel better about myself and has become a calming place to think. I highly recommend anyone considering going to the gym to at least try it out and see if it fits you. Working on yourself can do so much for not only your mental health but also your physical health, and at the end of the day will help you feel more accomplished.
Samuel J. Beadle is a first-year English major.