Joining a new institute or starting a new course could be overwhelming. Such is the case as well when someone joins the gym for the first time in their life. Many unwanted thoughts rush through the mind, with loads of questions, and self-doubts. We get it all mat as you are not alone, we all have been there at some point in our life. That’s why we’ve crafted this article to help you begin your journey to the gym in a smooth manner.
Let us prepare you for your first day at the gym. Let’s go.
Everything You Need To Know Before Going To The Gym- A Beginner’s Guide
So, you’ve decided to join a gym or even have got yourself registered. Great, good job. Now the real part begins, where you need to prepare yourself for your gym routine. Let’s get you started.
1: What To Wear To The Gym?
The beginning step is the proper attire you need to wear to the gym. Obviously, you cannot work out in your casual clothes or fancy shoes, right? So, the first thing you need to do is to buy comfortable trainers that are light in weight but have a good grip. These trainers will let you do any kind of workout while keeping you stable.
About the clothes, you don’t have to worry much or need to spend a lot. Instead, you simply need trousers and t-shirts of fabric that are breathable. These clothes should be able to absorb sweat as much as they can and they need to be flexible enough so you can stretch out yourself as much as you want.
2: What Essentials You Should Carry?
Done with your outfit? Good. Now, it’s time to make your gym bag. Though you’ll find all the necessary equipment in the gym to work out your muscles, there are some essentials or you can say personal items that you must carry with you. These include:
- A water bottle (it’s a must)
- A set of sweat towels (to wipe out the sweat off your body and from the equipment)
- A clean towel (to be used after shower)
- Shampoo
- A sanitizer
Gym equipment generally contains lots of germs, as multiple people use those machines. That’s why, to avoid any infections, you should keep a sanitizer with you so you can clean your hands and the parts of equipment you are going to hold before starting your exercise. Some gyms also prefer to clean the machines frequently with sanitizers so you can check with gym management before taking a sanitizer with you.
3: How To Decide On A Workout?
As it’s your first time in the gym, seeing a variety of exercise machines can be overwhelming. You might get puzzled about where to begin and what to do to get to your fitness goal. To avoid this confusion, you can do two things. First, research the kind of workouts you need to do to get fit or to stay fit. Like, if you need to lose weight, you’ll have to perform cardio workouts. If you want to build muscles, weightlifting and HIIT could be your thing. This research will help you get familiar with the steps of workouts and their related machines.
If that does not help, then the other option is to take the help of the management members of the gym or the fitness trainers present in the gym who can help you in this regard. They are quite helpful in guiding from where to begin and with what sort of workout. They will be helpful to you in guiding you about operating equipment as well. You can also hire a personal fitness trainer to help you get started.
4: How Much Time Should You Spend In The Gym?
Now that’s completely a relative question. There isn’t any ideal time that can be followed by everyone. It all majorly depends on your willpower, stamina, and the number of exercises you have decided to do in a day. But if you are someone just going to the gym to maintain your health, then 30-60 minutes daily in the gym are more than enough to keep you in shape and fit. Now, you can divide this time between your favorite workouts accordingly.
5: What Should You Avoid Doing At The Gym?
So, you got yourself familiar with all the basic tips and tricks you need to follow to hit the gym. But you know there are some restrictions at gyms as well and some basic manners which you should always follow. Let us tell you that too.
- Never bring food into the gym. It is prohibited and makes other people uncomfortable as well. Only take your water or sports drink with you.
- Never try to operate a machine you don’t know how to. You can simply ask the fitness trainers to help you operate it so do not to mishandle the machine and cause any inconvenience.
- Never hold a machine for too long, especially if you are not intending to use it. Be considerate of other people as well and let them sweat as well.
- Do not make noise in the gym. Do not talk on call in a loud voice nor listen to the music at a loud volume.
6: Always Be Confident
This sounds like a motivational quote but this one is the most important thing to remember before starting your gym journey. Because, when you go to the gym, you see people working out for a long time and people with a heavy build; this could put you under the pressure of doing too much right away or you might underestimate yourself. You should never do that. Keep confidence in yourself that you can do it too but at a slow pace. Everyone’s body is different so is their need for exercise, that’s why it’s foolish to compare yourself to anyone there.
The Final Word
There is always a first time to everything which could either go well or bad. If you are new to a gym routine, make sure to wear proper gym clothes, keep your essentials with you and take the help of fitness trainers to get started on your workout routine. Also, be considerate of the people in the gym and behave in a sensible manner. Hope these tips will make your take-off to the gym smooth. Good luck!
I look up to fitness as a lifestyle and love to pen down about it. I have 2 years of experience in content writing and I am here to share my research and knowledge on health and fitness.