How Do You Start Exercising When You’re Out Of Shape?
Q: I’m in terrible shape right now. Like, for real, I’m a mess…and that’s putting it lightly. Yeah, I need to get my life in order. But how do you start exercising when you’re out of shape? Like, should I get in shape before joining a gym or just join a gym and get in shape while working out? Yes, I know. It’s a perfectly logical question!
A: I’m not exactly the brightest tool in the crayon shed, so let me get this straight.
What you’re asking and want a serious answer to is if you should get in shape before…getting…in…shape.
Right?
You’re not in good enough shape now to go to the gym, a place where people go to get in shape. So you want to work out by yourself, which is probably at home, the place where you originally got out of shape. Then once you get in shape in the place that made it conducive for you to get out of shape, you’ll go to the gym to get in even more shape.
Right?
Because I don’t want to impugn your intelligence by calling that idea stupid, I’m not going to say that stupid idea is stupid.
Nope!
That stupid idea certainly isn’t stupid and isn’t a reflection of your stupidity!
Instead of calling you and your stupid idea stupid, I’ll just keep my opinion to myself and stick to telling you how to start exercising when you’re out of shape.
The answer to your predicament is that there’s no need to get fit before getting fit. Regardless of whether you elect to start working out at home or at the gym, you’re going to have to do the same thing, which is to gradually ease your way into more and more physical activity until you’re at the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. That means possibly going to the gym or doing a home workout for only 10 minutes two to three times a week and slowly adding more and more time and/or days until you reach the guideline.
There, problem solved!
With that said, excuse me as I put on my psychiatrist cap and totally read between the lines and get to the bottom of what’s really going on here.
*ahem*
What it really sounds like is that someone (Y-O-U!!) doesn’t want to join a gym for fear of going and looking out of place among the sea of in shape people who are the ONLY people who go to the gym.
You obviously think everyone is going to stop what they’re doing and look at you because you, of all people, are some kind of a big deal.
Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not some kind of a big deal. Most of the people in the gym won’t even know you’re there to laugh at or be judged by them because they’re too busy focusing on themselves and their workout to notice you, a relative nobody.
Yes, that’s right.
The gym is just like everywhere else in your life.
Yup, no one even knows you exist!
Any more wackadoo questions?
Email me or ask me on Instagram!
