What to do when you hit gym for the first time?

Who doesn’t have a friend who constantly procrastinates to go to the gym? That all-important ‘next week’ or ‘next Monday’ may never appear on the horizon for such pals. There are myriad reasons for one to hit the gym. While some want to reduce body weight, others want to gain weight. People might also want to build muscles and or improve general health. Many want to hit the gym badly but they are apprehensive about doing workouts. Let’s take a lowdown on what should be kept in mind while stepping into the gymnasium for the first time and clear the cobweb of doubts.

Know the trainer
Many people judge a gym by its paraphernalia and that’s a wrong way to rate a workout hub. You should be aware of the knowledge of the trainers and do a quick check on whether they are certified. If the trainer lacks proper expertise, exercises can do more harm than good.

Self-realization
Before you hit the gym for the first time, you should be aware of your body's needs and the purpose of doing workouts. The exercises and diet should be chalked out in such a way that they should align with your goals. Make sure to have a word with the trainer if you have knee pain, back pain or some other physical discomfort. The exercises should be structured in such a way that they don’t aggravate your body pain, if any.

Personal hygiene
Personal hygiene is of utmost importance whether you are in the gym or otherwise. Always carry a towel, running shoes and gloves to the gym as it is quite natural to sweat a lot while working out. And never borrow other members’ things.

Warm-up is mandatory
If you are new to the gym, it is better to follow a one-hour exercise routine for the first week. Refrain from overdoing on the first day. Don’t ever strain your body on the first few days by doing extensive workouts. It should be kept in mind that the workout duration should be increased at a leisurely pace. You should focus on warm-up exercises in the first two to three days. A thorough warm-up before weight training is a must to activate fluids in the joints. Warm-up exercises will help to keep injuries at bay.

Importance of posture
Posture should be perfect while exercising. The legs and back should be bent in the right way otherwise the chances of injuring yourself are high. Prevention is better than cure as injuries will take time to heal. It is important to have the right posture while working out to be free of injuries. The trainer should be equipped enough to correct the posture, and that’s the reason why the trainers should know about the body and exercises needed.

Body pain
It is natural to have body pain after working out and that should not be a deterrent to hitting the gym time and again. Exercises have a vital role to play if you want to lead a healthy life. Body pain is inevitable if you are exercising after taking a break for a few days or weeks. There will be no body pain if you are working out daily but all exercises should be preceded by a perfect warm-up.

Follow a diet
You don’t have to drastically change your diet immediately after joining a gym. Eat everything that you were having earlier and it is better to tweak the diet after a week. Diet has a pivotal role to play in transforming the body. Change the diet only after giving enough time to the body to get attuned to the new regime.