So, you’ve decided that you need to start working out more and you’ve begun the process of trying to figure out how and what you need to do to get started. You’re nervous to start and want to make sure you’re making the most of your investment physically and financially.
Maybe you have a friend who works out at a particular gym and advised you should talk to their coach to get started. You make the appointment to go in and talk to them but then realize… you need to get in shape to meet up with them! You don’t want them thinking that you’re a wet noodle.
Wait.
Do you?
Do you really need to get in shape before you hire a coach?
This is a case I’ve heard and seen over and over again. It even happened in my OWN family. I had set up a loved one to meet up with a good friend who was a coach, so they could start learning how to lift, and bam! Days before the appointment my family member canceled citing that he needed to join a gym and ‘get in shape’ before he met up with my friend, the lifting professional.
And I can tell you what happened.
This family member bought a gym membership, never followed up with my coach friend, and basically spent about 2 months cherry picking machines at the local fitness center. Ultimately falling off after a few weeks, but paying for the entire year.
So, why is that?
Well, there are many reasons. We get nervous about starting something new, our ego is embarrassed to show up out of shape in front of this person whose job is working out, we are scared we will fail at working out, we are nervous to spend money on ourselves for something that some see as a luxury cost.
However, our mind has been tricked by our emotions in this situation. The reality is that there is a higher upfront cost to hiring a coach to help you get started on this journey, but the long term payout is worth it. Just like, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” hiring someone who knows what they are doing at the beginning of your journey will give you a HUGE advantage starting out. Not only will you reap the benefit of them knowing how to create a program that will challenge you appropriately, they will keep you accountable, help you identify and develop solid short/medium/long term goals and keep you safe: avoiding common pitfalls and beginner mistakes. You will learn far more in the first few months under a trained coach’s guidance, which helps you get to your goals faster, but also helps you develop a foundation that you can then take with you into all your future experiences.
And know; we want to help you reach those goals of getting fitter. We want to teach you good, solid movement and help you fall in love with the thing that we loved so much, we made it our job.
What in your life has stopped you, just as you were about to start?
Coach Sarah, FNP-BC, MSN