What can you do to ensure that you’re making the most out of your gym membership?
- Be confident in yourself
- Mix up your routine
- Take a few classes
- Use the gym’s amenities
After several years of promising yourself that you’d do everything to get fit and healthy, you are finally an official member of a gym in Manila. It cost you quite a few greens that—if we’re being honest—you’d rather spend elsewhere, but there’s no taking back now. You’ve signed the contract. You are committed. You are a gym member.
Right at this moment, you’re probably asking yourself, “Well, now what?”. What exactly do you do after you become an official gym member besides show up? Do you just keep on lifting the weights and using their hopefully immaculate shower rooms? Is that all there is to a gym membership? And is that what you paid thousands for? Not exactly.
Gym memberships give you a lot of, for lack of better word, power. There’re tons of things you can do with it. Things that allow you to make sure that you are getting your money’s worth and making the most out of your gym membership. What these are will be listed below so just keep on reading!
Be Confident in Yourself
Actually getting yourself to stay inside the gym can be one of your biggest hurdles and we don’t blame you. Gyms do tend to feel intimidating especially for new members and during peak hours but don’t let that scare you.
Everyone—except for a select few that are hoping to score a date—is there to work on their health. Although you feel like you’re sticking out, you actually aren’t because you aren’t that different. You have the same goals as everyone else which is to get fit and stay healthy.
So don’t let anyone make you feel like you or your workout is inferior. Don’t mind the people lifting hundreds of pounds or running on insanely high settings. Their workout routines aren’t the standard and it would be dangerous for you to match them. Just go at a pace that you are comfortable with and allow your physique to gradually get better.
Mix Up Your Routine
The biggest mistake any gym member could make is sticking to a single piece of a machinery all every single day for the duration of their membership. Not only does this fail to take advantage of your expensive membership, it also leads to bad workout results.
Using the same machine for every session means that you are only using one set of muscles. Eventually, this will lead to muscle overuse which is the main cause of repetitive motion injuries like tendonitis. Moreover, having a set routine can get you bored and you lose some motivation to go to the gym.
All of this can be avoided if you just mix up your routine and try different machines. It also leads to better results because you can work out different muscle groups and you end up with a more well-rounded workout.
Take a Few Classes
Gyms offer a variety of different classes from kickboxing, CrossFit, Pilates, and the ever-popular Zumba. These classes can be hard to get into if you haven’t done them before, but there’s no harm in trying. You might end up having a lot of fun and that’s an important element of working out.
Don’t even worry about how you’ll look and don’t compare yourself with advanced students. It’s only natural for them to be better at it because they’ve been at it for months maybe even years.
All of them were once beginners like you and they probably failed a few dozen times, so don’t be afraid and just take the plunge. You might make new friends and fall in love with a new exercise.
Use the Gym’s Amenities
There’s pretty high chance that one the main factors that made you sign up for a membership are the different and unique amenities that the gym has to offer. It can be a nice pool, a sauna room, a pristine shower room, or even special offers like spas, skin treatments, or skin care services. In the Philippines, it may even be something as simple as free Wi-Fi or soft towels.
Since you signed up for those things, you better be using them constantly. If you’re not in the mood for an intense workout, then lounge around and relax in the many amenities that your gym has. You can also get a massage if you feel sore after an intense session.
Reason barely matters, just use those added freebies to get the most out of your membership. However, don’t be too fond of them. Use but don’t abuse. Remember that your goal is to become fit and not to avail of free spa sessions.
Key Takeaway
Other ways that you can make the most out of your membership includes employing the buddy system so that you’ll have someone hold you accountable when you don’t go. This, however, prevents you from developing a sense of responsibility and discipline. It may be good for the first few weeks but soon you have to be able to motivate yourself to go to your gym in Manila.
Once you’ve accomplished that and are fully into the idea of going to the gym, that’s when you can make use of the tips written above. All those will guarantee that you get your money’s worth and get the most out of your membership. Aside from that, these tips also help you achieve better workout results and you’ll be more motivated to work out regularly!