Last weekend I was asked to play on a flag football team.  Maybe a surprise maybe not but I have never really played football at all.  Maybe back in P.E. I played flag football but that was about the extent of it.  When I showed up I was very nervous, even being a personal trainer I was nervous about my fitness level, that I wasn’t in good enough shape, I wasn’t good enough to be here, why am I doing this?  All the self doubt started to come up in my mind and it was very distracting. I decided to push through and do my best at whatever task they gave me.  On my first play that I had activity on, I missed the player that caught the ball and he almost scored, if it wasn’t for the help of one of my teammates. Down the line I got more comfortable but was still nervous the whole time.  Made a few good plays and before I knew it the game was over. We unfortunately lost the game, but overall it was a fun game.

The biggest take away from this, most people run into, being nervous about trying something new. When anyone tries something new they get very nervous which can enable them to take the steps forward. I think that all of us do this, but most people do not talk about it. So if someone wants to work with a personal trainer to lose weight, try massage, or go to get acupuncture it may be too overwhelming because of being too nervous to try something new. Just taking the step forward will be nerve racking but in the end some great things can happen when you push yourself through being nervous. Even better you may end up meeting someone that is a great support to you and can make you feel more comfortable and feel safe.

I remember my first time going into a big gym before I became a personal trainer.  I was so overwhelmed and unsure of what to do or how to use the equipment.  I had grown up playing sports but was so intimidated to workout at a gym.  What would people think of me, who was watching me, judging me.  Would I get hurt if I did something wrong.  I was a nervous wreck most of the time going into the gym.  I did end up hiring a personal trainer for myself, I started to really enjoy working out, even to the point that I became a personal trainer myself.  So I’ve been there, going to the gym being nervous and can completely understand that fear. One of the ways that I approach training and have taught my personal trainers is that the first goal is to make clients comfortable and feel confident in being at our facility. Building trust with your personal trainer or personal trainers will help you to trust that we are looking out for your best interested in weight loss, dealing with an injury, etc.

Has any of this been an issue for you? Still an issue for you?