An internal excuse for not working out is that some gym newcomers would feel uncomfortable or intimidated about showing what they know or don’t know about working out in front of other people. Even though, they want to improve their body, a lack of experience and understanding of Richmond fitness frightens them. One way to get past the initial discomfort is to hire one of the gym’s personal trainers for a few sessions. Though a good option, that can be a bit pricey. In the meantime, here are a few tips for beginners starting out at a gym.

Warm up first

Whether it is simply stretching and loosening your limbs is jogging in place, you need to get your blood flowing throughout your body. Doing so will reduce risk of injury because the warm-up breaks down oxygen and helps it reach your muscles. It makes it easier to get into the actual workouts because your muscles and nerve impulses get going better.

Start off easy and slow

The aim is to build up your cardio, your muscles, and burn body fat. However, the first two don’t happen overnight. It needs to be gradually worked up over many sessions. If you push too much too soon, you could end up injuring yourself. Worse, you could build yourself up improperly and create a host of new problems for your body. Instead, don’t lift your maximum weight right away. Instead, try a lower weight or easier exercises to help build things up. When you do feel the “burn”, that is your body telling you it is close to having enough, so don’t go push beyond that.

Make sure you are using proper form

It isn’t necessarily about how many reps you can do right off the bat. Rather, it is the form you use during the exercises. For instance, you don’t want to arch your back too much when lifting or else you put too much strain on your back and could injure yourself. Use mirrors to make sure your form is good. Some newcomers believe that those who are doing exercise in front of a mirror are really posing for their own self-esteem. Really, they are watching their form and making sure that they are doing the exercises correctly.

Make sure you keep breathing during exercises don’t hold your breath while doing exercises. You need to breathe in and out in order during your exercises in order to help your muscles keep receiving oxygen. And you want to breathe deeply enough where your stomach is rising and falling, not your chest.

The last step is the cool down

Even when you are done with your exercises, you need to perform one last step. Cooling down prevents soreness and to help prevent injuries. It also helps your transition from an exercise to a state of rest, thus preventing blood pressure from dropping too rapidly and causing dizziness. Examples could be a light jog which will help prevent muscles from tightening up and creating soreness.