I am not a “gym person,” I don’t really look forward to it that much — I’ve never felt comfortable there, only because I was insecure about myself and my abilities. The gym has never been a fun place for me so here are some things I do to make it more enjoyable.
- Get a Gym Buddy
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Everyone says this but I swear it’s so helpful. You can help each other get to the gym and you don’t have to feel alone when you maybe aren’t the most comfortable or you’re feeling a little bit vulnerable. It changed my whole experience with the gym, it made it so much more fun becausre doing something, anything, with a friend didn’t make going to the gym feel like a chore.
- Make a Hype Playlist (with your gym buddy)
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Making playlists is so fun and choosing your favorite energizing songs that will make your workout more enjoyable is 100% worth it. Sometimes my gym buddy and I will do a Spotify session so that we are always listening to the same songs, this is cool because we can jam together in our own headphones.
- Get Cute Gym Clothes
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I love clothes and the idea of wearing them gets me excited to go to the gym (even if its just a little bit). I get workout tops that I love and ones really only can be worn while working and so, to be able to wear them, I have to go to the gym or do some exercise. This is motivating in a funny way and it helps me feel good about myself so I start out happier.
- Do Things That Don’t Make You Want to Walk Right Out of There
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I despise running so I do other forms of cardio, I’ll use the bike, or I walk on an incline on the treadmill. Also, do something that makes you feel like it was worth going, something that makes you sweat, or just anything that makes you feel something without pushing too hard. If you never feel like the gym is worth it, you won’t go back.
- Plan to Get Something You Love Afterwards
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Get your favorite food or get a yummy protein shake, do something to reward yourself afterward to help you feel good because going to the gym is hard and you did it! Even if it wasn’t a great workout or it just didn’t go how you wanted it to that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to feel good.
- A Change of Mindset
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I always viewed the gym as a place I went to lose weight, but recently I changed my mindset/goal to becoming stronger instead of just losing weight. After going to the gym for just a week I started to see that I could do more reps of something or I wanted to grab a heavier weight or my cardio was getting easier. I stopped putting the value of my workouts on how much weight I was losing and started thinking about how it was making me feel. I felt strong, and that is more rewarding than losing 5 pounds.
These things work for me, they may not work for everyone but they are worth a try! The gym should feel good because exercise is good for our bodies. Some gym days are better than others but I know I am bettering my body in many different ways every time I go.
