You’ve been wanting to start a fitness journey, but you can’t get to the gym. It can be intimidating to go to the gym as a beginner. Lack of fitness knowledge, stigma about gyms and low confidence can all contribute to you not wanting to go to the gym.
You can put those feelings to rest with the right beginner’s gym guide, and tips on how to work out for women. Knowing where to start and having the right attitude are key factors in forming a new gym habit.
Fitness Tips for Female Gym Beginners
Here are some gym tips for beginners to help you start your fitness transformation:
Tip 1: Write down specific goals.
What, why and how should you address your fitness journey? Why now is the right time to incorporate fitness into your life? How will your life change when you add fitness to it? How will you incorporate regular exercise into your life?
What are your goals? What are your specific objectives? Why are you aiming to reach these goals? What will you do to create a healthier lifestyle tomorrow, today, next week, or next month?
Write down your goals so that you can track how you are progressing. This will help you stay motivated.
Tip 2: Start slowly with a workout routine.
When you are just starting out, don’t overwhelm yourself. Start with 30 minute workouts, three times per week. Attend the gym as you would an appointment. Would you miss a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment?
After you have established a good habit, slowly add additional time or days. Add a fourth workout day after three or four weeks. It is important to establish a routine slowly in order to avoid injury and burnout. If you feel like your body is reaching its limit, take a break.
Tip 3: Prioritize recovery days.
Balance between exercise and rest is one of the best gym tips for female beginners. Rest days are crucial to your fitness transformation. You don’t have to feel guilty if you do not work out every day. Rest days are often mistaken for setbacks, but they should actually be considered recovery days. Stretching and rest are essential to prevent injuries and overtraining. Recovery days are a great way to recharge for your next workout.
Fitness does not mean pushing your body to its limits. Listening to your body, and treating yourself with care and respect is a path toward greater strength, health and wellbeing.
Remember that days off don’t necessarily mean lying in bed all day. You may sometimes need to rest completely, but more often than not your body will benefit by gentle movement. This helps reduce stiffness and improves mental health. You can incorporate gentle yoga, foam rolling, light walking or even mild stretching into your rest day.
Tip 4: Find accountability partners.
Our top fitness tip for women is to ask family and friends to keep you accountable. It’s especially helpful on days when you don’t feel like going to the gym. Find a buddy to work out with. Working out with someone can make the gym more enjoyable and less intimidating.
Your workout partner or accountability partner and you can do other things together outside the gym to improve your workout. You will find that working out is easier if you and your partner eat well, are hydrated, control stress and get enough rest.
Tip 5: Consistency is more important than intensity.
Focus on consistency rather than intensity when you begin your fitness journey. It is better to begin with a 30-minute moderate-level workout three times per week than a one-hour high-intensity session five days a weeks.
You won’t create a habit if you start with a high intensity workout as a novice. If you increase your intensity too quickly, you’re more likely to burnout and abandon the habit. Moderate-intensity exercises will still provide you with the benefits of exercising.
Tip 6: Keep doing the workouts you enjoy.
Focus on daily progress and find the exercises you enjoy. It is important to stick to a schedule when you are undergoing a fitness transformation. The easiest way to achieve this is to enjoy the journey.
We are too often caught up on the results and believe that we can’t be happy until our goal is achieved. You don’t have to be miserable on the way. You’re more likely to reach your fitness goal if you enjoy your workouts.
Tip 7: Create a motivational playlist.
Women can find the gym intimidating. We feel uncomfortable if we think that other gym-goers are watching us and judging us. A great tip to combat this is to create an inspiring playlist for women that will motivate you to start moving. Choose songs that will make you feel confident and upbeat.
Turn up the volume of your headphones so that you can concentrate on the music and not the people around.
Remember that others are probably feeling the exact same thing as you when you’re in the gym. At every stage of their fitness journey, gym members tend to be very supportive. Everyone has the same goal to be fit. You can be confident that no matter where you are on your fitness journey, everyone is either impressed by your commitment to fitness or too busy with their own workout goals to give you much attention.
Tip 8: Avoid playing the comparison game.
You’ll inevitably meet people more advanced than you in your fitness journey as a gym beginner. Remember that everyone has been where you are. You can make mistakes and not be too hard on yourself. You’ll get better at working out the more you try and learn. It’s not about perfection, but rather progress.
Try not to compare your fitness journey to someone who has been working out consistently for five years. This comparison is unfair to you. Look at them as an inspiration instead. You can achieve the same results as they did.
Tip 9: Appreciate the body you have now.
You can set goals for yourself while still being grateful for who you are and what you have. It’s not fun to accept misery now and hope to be happy in six months or one year, but this isn’t the way to live.
You can achieve amazing things with your body right now. You’ll feel more positive about yourself when you appreciate your body. This will lead to you having the strongest body ever.
Tip 10: Working with your bike/s.
Multiple rhythms and cycle affect the energy levels of people at different times. Phases of your cycle can affect energy levels for women who menstruate. Energy fluctuations can impact mood and motivation. Women with typical cycles tend to have less energy in the last week of their cycle, particularly in the days before menstruation.
Keep a fitness diary and track your energy levels according to the phases of the cycle. You can use this to understand why your motivation and energy levels may dip during certain phases of the month and when it is best to increase the intensity of your training.
Tracking daily energy cycles is another essential tip for women regardless of whether or not they menstruate. Schedule your exercise in the morning if you feel more motivated. Try to exercise when you’re most energetic. Be kind to yourself and play to your strengths.
How to Start Going to the Gym as a Woman
When you are a female beginner, working out in the gym may seem intimidating. These few steps will help you learn how to work out as a woman.
- Start by researching: Measure your body’s strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. You can set realistic goals by knowing your physical capabilities. This will also help you monitor your progress. You should also focus on learning about the different types of gym equipment, and what each one is designed to do.
- Create a fitness program: It’s important that you map out your exercises before you begin working out. Plan your workouts based on what you want to achieve and how fit you are. If you are unsure where to begin, working alongside a personal trainer may be beneficial. A tailored plan will help you feel more confident and get the most from your workout.
- Be prepared for the gym: Having everything at hand can improve your performance. Wear comfortable clothing that you can move around in, along with the appropriate training equipment. You should also have a water bottle, a towel and toiletries to refresh yourself after your workout.
Women’s Nutrition Tips
These nutrition tips will help you on your fitness journey.
Tip 1: Meal preparation
Preparing your meals in advance is an excellent way to stick to healthy eating. We tend to choose food that’s convenient, quick and unhealthy when we are pressed for time. You can prepare and plan your meals up to a week ahead of time, which will save you from having to cook in the middle a busy schedule. Meal prepping allows you to prepare meals that are convenient and nutritious.
Tip 2: Create a list of healthy food spots near you
We don’t always have the energy or time to prepare a meal. You may have prepared your meals on Sunday but run out by Friday. You may have worked hard and want to reward yourself with some restaurant food.
Create a list that includes places that serve healthy foods in your locality near your home, your workplace, or your gym. You can still enjoy eating out while maintaining your nutritional needs.