Merging into a gym routine can be mystifying if you've never worked out before. But building a fitness routine starts with the simple move of getting yourself out of the house and into the gym. From there, you just have to set your own goals and decide how to work toward them, remembering a few simple points about gym etiquette along the way.
Assess Your Capabilities
Having a baseline assessment helps you gauge how far you've come over time and is also essential for tailoring a fitness program to fit your needs. Take advantage of the free or low-cost baseline fitness assessments many gyms offer. If you don't have access to such services, carry a notebook with you and record what type of cardio you did, for how long and at what resistance or speed settings. For strength training, write down how many repetitions of each exercise you do and with how much weight. Date each record sheet and keep them in the notebook or in a folder at home. Check back after a month or two to see how quickly you've progressed.
Set a Goal
Setting a goal, then making a detailed plan to meet it, helps you stay on track. A good goal for beginners is meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations for physical activity: a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, of 75 minutes of vigorous cardio, every week, and strength-training your major muscle groups twice a week. Other good beginner goals include training to walk or run your first 5K, aiming to lose 10 lbs. in two or three months or making a habit of attending at least three group fitness classes every week.
Pack Your Bag
Making the extra time to work out can be a challenge when you first start hitting the gym. Make things easy on yourself by keeping your workout bag packed and ready to go at all times. That way, you know you'll have everything you need once you get to the gym. Leave the packed bag within easy reach: by the door, in the car or beside your desk.
Compete With Yourself
It's tempting to judge yourself by how others around you are doing, but stay focused on your own workout instead of what the lady next to you on the treadmill, or the guy at the bench press, is doing. You'll be happier, more relaxed and, ultimately, more successful.
Learn Basic Etiquette
Although you should stay focused on your own workout, don't get so self-centered that you ignore a few basic points of gym etiquette. Always wipe down cardio machines with sanitizing spray when you're done, and lay a towel on the weight bench before you lie down, protecting the equipment from your sweat. Don't monopolize weight machines, or if you notice someone else waiting, offer to let him or her work in between your sets. Always put dumbbells back where you got them from, and remove the weight plates from barbells once you're done with them.
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