Ride Your Bike, Get Out - Exercise Aside (End of Summer/Early Fall Goal)

Remember those days when you were too young to have a license but wanted to get somewhere? As kids, riding bikes - well from what I recall of my own experience - was not about exercise at all, but about getting from one place to another way quicker than walking.

And the thing is, all my friends had bikes and we could go over each others' houses in groups or on our own. I didn't think about - "Oh man, I just got back from a long day at school and wanna just relax in front of the TV." I just needed to hang out with my friends, doing whatever - it so didn't matter ... everything was about school, or card games, or parents, or finding aliens (yes, for all that don't know, I'm a Trekki/Space Crazy Person) or crushes or stuff I don't wanna write down because - Dude, it's private - or what so and so said about so and so and how it affects the entire universe because ... it. just. does.

My point is, life wasn't an excuse then to not be social or active. Now, don't get me wrong ... some people have special issues or circumstances where a bike ride won't cut it. But, for those that rode in the past and tucked their bikes away cuz they'd rather drive to whoever's house a mile or two away ... or anywhere that's not an unreasonable distance for a kid to get to ... well, why not ride your bike instead? Do you just not want to stink? Maybe you want to not look disheveled? I don't know. Pick your battles ... but, let's focus this end of summer and coming fall into getting places actively and not caring so much about "looking adult."

Hey, today I decided to ride to my niece's tournament about 13 miles away and back (total) because it was a beautiful day, I didn't have to "look pretty" for it, no one cared if I stunk like outside, cuz they did too ... and, quite frankly, I got so many people smiling at me and waving for riding my bike, I felt like the coolest adult in town.

I don't want to be that person that gets home from work and doesn't feel the wind brush against my face while I still have the health to head out and experience it. I even got to talk to passersby along the way! And if I didn't want to, I didn't have to, but I wanted to, so it was nice.

Get outside and visit your neighborhood like you did when you were a kid. And if you didn't, try it now. And if you can't ride a bike, walk. And if you can't walk, sit on a porch, get to a park, play with some welcoming acro yoga peeps ... but, let's set the "exercise" intention aside and just be active without an expectation (fat burn, 30 mins minimum, sweating ... you know what I mean). See if you have an option to walk or take the bike or rollerblades, skateboard, etc instead of a motorized vehicle. I'm a fitness professional telling you to remember what it's like to be involved with life outside of a car or a TV set ... and let's see what happens? Who knows? Maybe you'll discover something wonderful?

Embarrassed to go to the Gym

This crushes my soul when I hear it (and I hear it way too often) - not because I think it's a silly fear, but because I understand it. The words: I AM EMBARRASSED TO GO TO THE GYM.

I'm fat. I don't know what to do. I'm too out of shape. People will judge me. They'll laugh at how I do things wrong. They'll laugh at how slow I'm going. They'll think I'm not working hard enough and will look at me like I'm a slob that shouldn't be there. I'll be an eyesore. I'll hold other people back. I'll be the last person to catch up and people will have to wait for me ...

My answer back to all of those concerns/fears/insecurities - whatever you want to call them - is certainly not a "who cares?" It's a "who will laugh at you? you point that person out and believe me, they won't do that again. otherwise, focus on you and sweat those negative thoughts out of your mind."

You guys/gals, I've been in this industry a long time, and can I tell you something? Most people are not watching what you're doing, unless it's invasive to them. Most people are so involved in their own fitness endeavors, they're not stopping to make fun of someone striving to get healthier too. And, you know what? If someone is taking the time to put you or another person down, why would you value a person like that's opinion? Especially when the rest of us - trainers, managers, instructors dedicated to fitness - really and truly want you to win.

Weight is emotional. How we look at ourselves can be painful. And there are many reasons for that. I've had people cry - and I've cried with them - about not being able to walk because of a knee issue or because of "getting older" and being scared to fall, not being able to balance, being too big to sit on a bike in the Spin room, ashamed to get undressed to change in the locker rooms, a boyfriend (or girlfriend) not being attracted to them anymore - PHEW! It's never really about the weight or the fitness level, is it? It's always that thing lying underneath it all that makes it so hard to step out of our box of sorrows and embarrassment.

I tell people all the time, I still remember when I started running - I could barely jog 50 meters (if that). I remember VERY CLEARLY making landmarks while jogging - "just get to that lamp post" ... and it would be just a few feet away ... but, it was SO hard for me. Then, I remember FINALLY being able to run a whole mile - wow. I was so proud of myself. But, that took time. And, I did feel embarrassed, because I was in cross country and was one of the worst runners there. I WAS one of those people near the very end. I HAVE been that person that came in dead last. So, I do understand. However, I faced it. For those few people that I did notice shaking their heads like "man, she's really out of shape and probably shouldn't be running this race" there were tens and hundreds more people cheering me on. And here I am a fitness expert. I'm not a great runner now - average, I suppose - but, I have my own goals and I do it for my health.

A last note ... many of my clients often remark: "Renée, you and all these other trainers must really have a riot talking about how out of shape your clients are." Never. It always shocks me, because I rarely EVER talk about my clients to other. Moreover, when I do talk about them, it's always about how proud I am of what they've accomplished. It wouldn't even come into my head to put someone down in their presence or out. I'm proud of people for having the courage to achieve greater health and fitness.

To all who are embarrassed to start up, please remember you're not alone and that if you want something, you have to have enough faith in the good of the rest of us that we'll not hold you back from getting it. Celebrate you. You don't need to be the best. You don't need to worry about what other people think ... just keep moving. Most of us are rooting for you.