5 Tips For Apprehensive Gym-Goers

 

 
Does the idea of sweating in front of people make you queasy?  Sarah Stefanson knows the feeling, but says the gym is really not that bad.

Going to the gym for the first time can be a pretty intimidating prospect.  A workout novice tends to conjure up images of a bunch of thick-necked weightlifters and perfectly toned tummies in bare midriff tops.  Even if you aren’t put off by the competition, the very notion of purposefully sweating might be new to you.  It can also be challenging to learn what is necessary to make your workout effective. 

When my sister and I first told the rest of our family that we were going to the gym, it was met with considerable disbelief.  They just couldn’t wrap their brains around the idea of Sarah and Amy lifting weights.  Granted, the image was funny even to myself before we started, but I’ve gone from being a life-long hater of the gym to believing it to be necessary and even somewhat fun.  I’m here to fill you in on how to make your first foray into working out successful.

Partner Up
First of all, you don’t have to go it alone.  Grab your sister, best friend, boyfriend, mother or roommate and head down to the gym together.  This will not only lessen the nerves of doing something new for the first time, but it will provide great bonding time with your partner.  Not to mention the added bonus of being able to keep each other motivated.  It is much easier to get your butt off the couch when you know your workout buddy is waiting for you down at the gym.

Avoid the Meat Market
Stay away from the super trendy health club where the treadmills are carefully situated in front of the full-length windows along the street.  These places are designed to allow the already fit to show off and don’t do much for the beginner.  When you are just starting out, you don’t want to put yourself on display for any passer-by to see. 

Try your local YWCA, YMCA or community recreation center instead.  You are more likely to find facilities there that are actually designed with functionality in mind, rather than a public showing of rippling muscles and toned midriffs.  An added bonus to going the community gym route is that it will likely cost you much less for a membership.

Consult a ProfessionalBefore my sister and I even thought about entering the gym for the first time, we made an appointment with a Fitness Consultant at the YWCA where we had been attending aquafitness classes.  We asked for a female consultant just because it would make us more comfortable (and less distracted).  These people are professionals in working out and will tailor a program to your specific needs. 

She started out by asking us what our experience with exercise has been like in the past and what our fitness goals were.  Then she created a routine for us involving weights and core work.  She started us off easy so we could work up to more reps and more weight.  Now when we go to the gym we look like we actually know what we’re doing.

Don’t Dress To Impress
With the massive success of stores like lululemon, high quality workout clothes can be seen on everyone from soccer moms to businesswomen.  It may be tempting to run out and blow your paycheque on expensive and trendy yoga pants and tank tops, but remember, it’s not the label that matters, but the functionality.  This is not to say lululemon and the like don’t produce quality garments which are suitable for your workout.  I have been given a couple lulu pieces as gifts and they definitely serve the purpose.  Just keep in mind that cheaper isn’t necessarily worse.  My sister got her workout clothes for $20 at a department store and they work just fine too. 

The point is, when you’re just starting out, you don’t need hundreds of dollars worth of workout clothes.  Dress so you are comfortable and able to move easily.  Avoid an overabundance of material since you’ll be sweating plenty already, but please don’t wear skimpy cleavage tops either.  Remember, those outfits are for the trendy health clubs.

Slow and Steady Wins The Race
Don’t push yourself and don’t be frustrated if you are not seeing immediate results.  My sister and I are still using the 5-pound weights we started with, occasionally upgrading to 8-pound to challenge ourselves.  We’ve upped our reps by a few and lengthened our cardio warm-up.  We are avoiding any kind of dramatic increase, so that even on the days when we’d rather sit on the couch eating potato chips, we can still manage to get through our program and on extra energetic days, we can do more if we like.

If your goal is weight loss, do yourself a favor and do not step on the scale!  Instead, judge your weight loss by how your body looks and how your clothes fit you.  This is a much better way to track your progress and it makes you feel better too!  Remember, if you are losing weight, you are probably gaining muscle and the exchange might leave you with little change on the scale.
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keep moving
Don’t forget to change up your workout routine every six to eight weeks to keep yourself from getting bored and your muscles from getting accustomed, or try something new like aquafitness, yoga or step class.  The idea is to keep it interesting and fun, making it a lot more likely that you’ll keep it up.

New Study Explains Why Doctors May Be Apprehensive To Recommend Weight Loss And Exercise

If getting exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight are so important, particularly for patients with prediabetes or diabetes, have you ever wondered why your physician may not have really emphasized to you the need for exercise and losing weight, that is if you need to lose weight? As it turns out, a study published in the January issue of Obesity suggests physicians that maintain a more normal body weight themselves are more likely to recommend to their overweight or obese patients the need for weight loss and feel comfortable doing so.

The objective of the study, conducted between February 9th and March 1st, 2011 by researchers in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was to look at the impact of physician BMI on obesity care, physician self-efficacy, perceptions of role-modeling weight related health behaviors, and perceptions of patient trust in weight loss advice.

Bleich and colleagues, discovered that physicians with a normal BMI were more likely to discuss weight loss with their obese patients than their colleagues with a higher BMI score themselves (30%vs18%, P=0.001). As I mentioned previously, the study showed that physicians with a normal BMI also had greater confidence in their ability to provide diet and exercise counseling to patients (53% vs. 37%, P=0.002).

Eighty percent of the physicians with a normal BMI felt that overweight or obese patients would be less likely to pay attention to weight loss advice from overweight or obese physicians, while only sixty-nine percent of the physicians with an elevated BMI felt the same way.

Physicians with a normal BMI were more likely to believe that they should serve as role models to their patients in regards to maintaining healthy weight-related behaviors and performing regular exercise. And finally, something that I find very interesting, physicians with an elevated BMI were far less likely to record an obesity diagnosis or bring up the subject of weight loss with obese patients unless the physician's perception of the patients' body weight met or exceeded their own body weight.

I find this study useful in helping us to understand why doctors, within the same specialty, diagnose and treat patients with the same illness in different ways. As this study suggests, perhaps it is influenced by the physician's own state of health. Could it be that the medication the doctor prescribes a patient for high cholesterol is the one that seems to work best in treating his own cholesterol? Maybe a lot of healthcare providers do feel uncomfortable prescribing exercise and weight loss, and therefore don't do it, if they themselves are quite overweight and cannot find the motivation to get out and get it done. Interestingly, I have heard countless times of physicians that tell their patients that they need to quit smoking but smell of cigarettes themselves.

I do believe that people involved in the healthcare industry, particularly doctors, nurses, dietitians, therapists and educators should serve as healthy examples to their patients and that they be people that patients can aspire to.

Maybe this is one reason why doctors don't recommend exercise to patients with diabetes with the enthusiasm that patients need to hear.

Maybe it's because of their own personal situation and the attitudes they have towards exercise. In any case, good study. We need more on this topic.

 

Techniques for Managing Communication Apprehension

Communication apprehension, also known as stage fright, is the fear of public speaking. Although for many people public speaking can be a scary experience, there are ways to alleviate this fear. Speakers can manage their communication apprehension by doing as much work on the speech as possible beforehand, and managing their thoughts and attitudes before and during the presentation. 

Be Prepared - One of the most effective ways of managing communication apprehension is to be prepared. When speakers have thoroughly prepared to give a speech, they project confidence to the audience. Speakers can prepare for their speaking occasions by knowing about themselves, the topic of the speech and the audience that is going to hear it. Speakers need to know how they react to stress and be aware of the strengths and weaknesses that they have so they can improve upon those weak spots. In addition, speakers must research their speech topic thoroughly and get information about members of the audience, such as their beliefs, age, gender and religious or political affiliations.

Be Positive - Keeping a positive attitude can help speakers reduce their nervousness by creating an expectation of success. One way to do this is through visualization, where speakers picture themselves giving a speech that is successful. Positive thoughts help speakers change the way they think about public speaking and help them build their confidence. It's important, however, for speakers to remain realistic so they do not build up their expectations so high that they are setting themselves up for a major fall.

Practice, Practice, Practice - When speakers practice their speeches ahead of time, they determine the strong points of the speech as well as the weak points. This gives speakers a chance to change the content that does not fit well into the speech. Practice also allows speakers to determine what type of delivery works best for them, so they can adjust their delivery style as needed. It is also helpful for speakers to practice their speech in front of friends or family members, which gives them the opportunity to get an idea of how an audience might react.

Breathe - Breathing exercises can help the speaker calm down before or during a speech. By breathing deeply, a speaker releases tension in the hands, head or face, which helps to get rid of excess energy and helps the speaker to relax.

 

 

How to Reduce Speech Apprehension Anxiety

Speech apprehension, or the fear of public speaking, is a common cause of anxiety and apprehension for many people. Feeling judged or self-conscious when presenting to a large audience is a common sign that a person may have fear of public speaking. Negative emotions and the feeling that one will make a mistake in front of a group is a common reason many panic. There are several ways to reduce speech apprehension and overcome nervousness when giving a presentation.

Step 1

Understand and know the material presented. Do no procrastinate researching the topic.

Step 2

Make an outline. Use bullet points and not full sentences. Apply bullets in the speech to stay on topic and use as reminders.

Step 3

Practice the speech as often as necessary until the material flows naturally. Give the speech to friends and family members and ask for feedback.

Step 4

Do the Sarnoff Squeeze, a relaxation exercise, prior to giving a speech. Place both hands in front of you, and push the bottom of your palms together. Slowly exhale and relax. Contracting the hand muscles decreases the amount of epinephrine in the body, a fear-inducing chemical.

Step 5

Think positively. Tell yourself you will give a great presentation or speech. Say positive messages aloud. Visually imagine yourself giving a successful speech.

Step 6

Walk up to the podium with self-confidence and a strong posture. Stand in front of the room and pause before starting speech; take a look around.

Tips and Warnings

• Join a local group of Toastmasters International. The nonprofit group practices communication and speech skills. Meet with a group weekly or biweekly to apply positive presentation and leadership skills.

 

If just the thought of giving a speech in front of a group of people makes your palms sweat and your legs turn to jelly, you're not alone. According to University Center Rochester, one in five people is "highly communication apprehensive," and many list public speaking as one of their worst fears. If work or school requires you to take the stage in the near future, there are some tips to help you make the experience less harrowing.

Practice

• The more you practice your speech, the better you'll know your material, and the more comfortable you'll be when the time comes. Practice in front of a mirror so that you can see your gestures and facial expressions. You can also practice giving your speech to a friend or family member, who can provide you with some constructive feedback.
  

Use Visual Aids

• Use visual aids such as PowerPoint, videos or even flip charts. Visual aids can not only enhance the presentation, but also relieve some of your anxiety by taking some of the attention off of you. Visual aids also can help guide you through the presentation so you don't have to rely as much on your memory. Consider having someone operate your audio-visual equipment for you so you don't have to worry about fumbling with it as you're giving your speech.
  

Involve the Audience

• Get your audience involved by asking questions about your topic that you already know the answers to. By asking questions, you can build rapport with your audience and demonstrate your expertise on your topic, which can boost your confidence and help you relax.
  

Use Humor

• Start your presentation with a self-deprecating joke or comment. You'll win points with your audience by showing that you can laugh at yourself, and the laughter from the audience will relieve some of your tension. You can also interject the occasional joke or funny visual during your speech to help hold your audience's attention.
  

Take a Walk

• If possible, move around during your speech instead of standing behind a podium. Casually moving through your audience can help you release some of that nervous energy and can also bring you closer to the members, which can aid in building rapport.
  

Visualize and Breathe

• Take a few minutes before you take the stage to close your eyes and visualize making a great speech. Visualizing can help you relax and get you focused on the task. Taking slow, deep breaths as you visualize will help slow down your heart rate and get your frayed nerves under control.