Fitness can be one of the most intimating lifestyles to get into. With personal trainers, nutrition habits, time commitment and gym membership costs, there is a lot of factors holding people back from getting started. The truth is: these 'barriers' are all much scarier in our mind than they are in reality.

‍

Personal Trainers

People fear the personal trainer for many reasons, but if someone is very new to fitness this is not the place to start. Personal Trainers require a substantial investment of both time and money, not to mention dedication. Getting a few sessions with a personal trainer at the beginning of a fitness journey is a very "feet first" approach that won't work for everyone. Though personal training is ideal for those looking to get in shape quickly, through very personalized exercises regiments, it can also be fatiguing for those not mentally prepared. Moreover, those self-conscious or timid may not enjoy the constant one-on-one attention that comes with an hour long session.

‍

Nutrition Habits

From protein powders to Keto diets, there are a too many fitness nutrition trends for beginners to stay current on and it can be overwhelming when first starting out. Questions like "Are my eating habits ruining my workout?" or "Am I getting enough protein?" arise and without guidance can cause us to lose momentum. Early on, the key is simply to eat better and not force changes all at once. By "better" we simply mean less processed food more home cooked fresh meals. By not all at once, we mean to take things slow and replace one meal at a time, not your entire diet in the first few weeks. Eventually, consulting with a nutrition expert will help refine eating habits, but simply seeking out healthier options more often, or avoiding fast food when possible will go a long way to losing weight and staying in shape.

‍

Time Commitment

There are those who hit the gym every single day. Some of us have time for that level of commitment and others definitely do not. Do not base your personal fitness progress or goals against your peers, rather compare these to your past accomplishments. Fitness should not be treated as an "All or Nothing" endeavor. Going from no time set aside for fitness to 1 or 2 hours per week is a huge step and committing to just 3 hours a week can help start a long lasting routine. Simply taking the steps towards a fitness routine will allow for a more healthy lifestyle with a healthier mindset.

‍

Membership Costs

Keep in mind, when beginning your fitness journey or growing your commitment, gyms are not for everyone therefore a membership to one is not always the most effective approach to fitness. The drawbacks to a gym membership include less structure, fewer group classes, and reduced personalized attention. This sometimes means a lower cost, but more reliance on personal motivation/discipline. Ultimately, what you pay extra for is access to services outside the simple use of their equipment. This can include personal trainers, nutrition experts and group classes. If the self motivation aspect feels outside of your comfort zone, there are gym alternatives which exclusively offer those extra services.

‍

My Health Studio

How do we approach fitness differently and relieve the stress of these factors? Through Semi-Private Coaching and Group Fitness Classes. As mentioned in our previous blog, Group Classes can be powerful ways to solidify a fitness routine. Semi-Private Coaching offers some overlap with Group Classes but with a more personalized approach. We also have experts on hand to help answer nutrition questions. Everything we offer is designed to make fitness fell less overwhelming and scary. The transition from unhealthy lifestyles to healthy should not be such a shock as to make people give up easily. Let My Health Studio guide you through the process and create a seamless start to your fitness journey.