Don’t Let Your Ego Get The Better Of You In A Fitness Class

When you enroll in a group fitness class upon joining a gym, your goal should be to make your body healthier. It's easy to get caught up in watching the progress of your peers, however, and you want to impress them. Most people contend with their ego at times, but this is definitely a scenario in which you don't want your ego to get out of hand. Allowing your ego to get the better of you can potentially lead to an injury and may also result in a significant amount of embarrassment. Here are some ways that your ego may interfere in your fitness class.

Using Heavy Weights

Lifting weights is often a part of fitness classes, so there may be a time that your instructor asks everyone in the class to go grab a pair of dumbbells for an aerobic exercise. Pumping light dumbbells while you walk in place, for example, can be an effective way to deepen a workout. Your ego can take center stage during this exercise, as you may decide to choose heavier weights with the goal of impressing everyone around you. For example, if your instructor suggests getting one- or two-pound weights, you might choose five-pound weights or higher instead. The result may be that you're unable to perform the exercise correctly.

Going At A Quick Tempo

Often, your fitness instructor will dictate the tempo for certain activities. As a class participant, it's your job to match your tempo with that of the instructor so that you can pace yourself. Unfortunately, this is another time that your ego can get out of hand. For example, if the instructor asks everyone to perform jumping jacks at a moderate pace as a warm-up activity, you might quickly move into an accelerated pace so that you can be the fastest in the class. You could burn yourself out, leading to some embarrassment.

Wearing Excessive Gear

There's so much fitness gear available on the market today that it can be tempting to buy a lot of different things for your fitness classes. While there's no disputing that proper athletic attire can help you to move freely — and, admittedly, look sporty — there is such thing as overdoing it. Don't let your ego prompt you to buy an excessive amount of fitness gear, especially if you've a novice. A sauna suit, compression sleeves for your legs or arms, and even a training mask can look neat to you, but you'll look a little silly in class. The key to succeeding in a fitness class is to focus on you and the instructor, to take things at your own pace, and to have fun.

Contact a local gym to learn more about the gym memberships that are available.


Share