Signing up to the gym is one of the most common good purposes in the month of January : after the Christmas holidays, usually held around a table full of food and drink, it seems that we realize that we want to lose weight or improve our health , and start exercising is one of the things that comes to mind.

Go ahead that, as we have told you before , it is not mandatory to join the gym to get fit, but there are other workouts that you can do at home or outdoors. But if you have decided to start training at the gym, these are the keys to motivation that lasts more than a week.

Take your time and choose the right gym

There are many variables that we have to take into account when we sign up for a gym : among them we can find, for example, the situation of it (which is close to our work or our house) , which offer classes that we Interested if we want to start with collective classes or the level of cleanliness of changing rooms and rooms.

Ideally, before going to a gym we have done a “sweep” between several centers to see which is best suited to our needs. Before choosing, something very recommendable is to visit the gym at the same time you plan to go to train so that you can see in situ how many people there are and how different activities are developed.

Many gyms have passes for days that you can take to test the facilities or the different classes you plan to attend. Take your time to make an accurate choice.

Establish a fixed schedule for training

“I’ll go train when I can” is more or less the equivalent of never going to train. If you really want to be constant when it comes to training at the gym, set a schedule for it. Do not treat it as an extra of the type “hey, well, if you give me time, I’ll go”, but as another date in your day to day, just as important as the others you have on the agenda.

For some, the first hour of the morning is the best opportunity to train: start the day with movement , avoid possible setbacks that prevent you from going to train (at that time there are usually unexpected phone calls or meetings are usually scheduled, for example) and enjoy the day that lies ahead. The downside is, of course, that you’ll have to get up a little earlier than you already do.

The half day or lunch time is an ideal time to train if your gym catches you near work: the rooms are usually less crowded and you can train with relative calm, plus you take advantage of what in some cases is a “time” dead . ” As an inconvenience, if you want to go to collective classes, it is possible that at that time the offer will be more limited.

From six in the afternoon approximately the rush hour begins in the gyms : especially during the months of January, June and September, from six and until nine or ten at night the gyms are crowded with people, something with what we will have to deal with yes or yes. Tails on cardio machines or waiting to get a bank can turn against us and our willpower; but it is something that lasts only a few weeks.

Collective classes: search, compare and test

If you have decided to train in group classes , it is very important that you keep an open mind and that you are willing to try different things . We do not only refer to different classes (surely in your gym you have a huge offer of collective classes: take advantage of it!), But also different teachers or coaches.

Many times we close in band to try new things simply because from the outside we think that they will not fit with us , and because of that we miss opportunities to learn new ways to exercise and have fun at the same time. Do you think that Pilates or spinning are not for you but you have only seen them from the other side of the glass? Give them an opportunity and try a class or a couple of them: after all, they are included in the quota of the gym and you do not lose anything, if you can discover that it has nothing to do with what you had thought and maybe you will finish hooking

Also try different instructors and teachers : it is important that you find a person that you really connect to when training, that motivates you to keep improving and that makes the classes a fun experience. Maybe it’s not that you do not like Yoga class : maybe you have not found your ideal instructor yet.

Keep track of your workouts

What is not quantified can not be improved : this also applies to the gym. Keep track of your workouts is very beneficial both to see what works and what is not according to your goals (because training is not an exact science) and to have extra motivation when you look back and see everything what you have advanced

Plan the training sessions and do not go to the gym “al tun-tún”: if you know in advance what you are going to do every day it is much less likely that you skip workouts. Planning your routines in advance will also allow you to be more organized and save yourself time in the gym by wandering from one machine to another.

If you go to the gym at rush hour and train in the fitness room, a good idea may be to take an “alternative exercise” for all you have to do , so that if this or that machine is occupied, you can replace it with an exercise similar and not waste much time.

With these little tips we not only hope that your workouts in the gym arrive, at least, until December of this year, but that they become part of your day to day and that they encourage you to move more every day .