The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of The University of Scranton.
I have never enjoyed working out or exercising. I know it’s important and good for you, but it’s always felt very intimidating to me. I was never an athletic person growing up. I played a couple of sports when I was little, but after that, I stopped and pretty much avoided physical activity as much as possible. Gym class was my least favorite part of the day. I always went to the back of the line in kickball, and my teacher always had to be on me to participate. It was so bad that instead of being the kid who was always picked last for gym, I was always picked first because my teacher told the other kids to pick me.
Being the least athletic kid in the class always made me feel insecure. Because of that, I developed a negative association with exercise and physical activity that stuck with me throughout middle school and high school. When I got to college, I tried to change that. I went to the gym with my friends a couple of times, but I could never find the motivation to start a routine and stick to it. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I went to the gym during my first two years of college. I would tell myself it was because I was too busy, but I could have found the time. I just didn’t want to.
My sophomore year, I decided to try spin class for the first time. Some of my friends had gone a few times and were really into it. But when I went, I absolutely hated it. I felt weak and embarrassed because I couldn’t do what everyone else was doing at the pace they were doing it. Looking back, I realize that if I had just gone at my own pace and done what was comfortable for me, the class wouldn’t have been nearly as bad. But here’s where I went wrong: I compared myself to my friends who went to the class with me, and to the other people in the room even though this was my FIRST class, and they had probably been to many others before. As the saying goes, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” As someone who had never been to spin class before and hardly ever worked out, expecting myself to be at the same level as everyone else was unfair, and all it did was make me upset. After that, I told myself I would never do spin class again.
Flash forward to second semester junior year. I decided things were going to be different. All my life I had been told that exercise is not only good for your physical health but for your mental health as well. As someone who struggles with anxiety, I knew that starting an exercise routine would be the best thing for me. I also knew I could find the time in my schedule to do it. The difficult part was getting started and finding the motivation to keep going.
One day, I decided to get up a little earlier on a Friday and go to the gym with one of my roommates. Having a friend to go with really helped me get started, and it also helped keep me accountable. Since I made a promise to my friend that I would go with her, I was motivated by the desire to keep that promise. So I went to the gym, planning to just walk on the treadmill. I saw my friend next to me doing a run workout, so I decided to try running for a little bit.
Important context for this: I hate running and have repeatedly told people I would only run if something was chasing me. But I realized that the only thing stopping me from running—and from working out in general—was the voice in my head telling me I couldn’t. So, I did. I ran. Then I started going to the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. I started out just walking on the treadmill, then added a couple of minutes of running. One day, I decided to run a full mile. It’s something I never expected myself to do, but I’m so proud of myself for doing it.
If you’re like me and the idea of exercise has always felt like torture, I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be. It can be fun! After saying I would never go back to spin class, I was persuaded by my friend to get back on the saddle (pun intended) this semester, and I had SO MUCH FUN! Want to know why? Because I went at my own pace and didn’t worry about how fast my friends were going or whether I could stand up on the bike for as long as the instructor did. It was also helpful to go with a supportive friend, and the instructor was incredibly encouraging.
You may think everyone is watching and judging you—trust me, I thought that the first time I went—but I promise you, they are not. Everyone is focused on working out, having fun, and feeling good; that’s what you should focus on too.
So, if you’re thinking about starting a fitness routine but have no idea how, my advice is simple but effective: just try it. Try something small a couple of times a week, even if it’s just a 30-minute walk on the treadmill. Don’t look at what everyone else is doing. People around you may be running or lifting weights, but if you’re not comfortable doing that yet, then don’t. If you’re getting up and moving, that’s what matters. Take it slow, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else; this is your journey, not theirs.