Day 13- The Gym

The gym. It is a scary place for a woman.
You know what is even scarier? Classes at the gym! All of those mirrors. All of those eyes. All of those pelvic thrusts and leg lifts!
Last year I decided that I was really going to make the gym my (eh hem) bitch. And I tried... I really did. But it was SO boring! I would run on the elliptical for 30-40 minutes and then I would try to work with weights for a while but my mind would wander and I would think of 800 other things I could be doing and I would leave.
Last year I also met my friend Cora. Cora is a beast. She works out more than anyone I know. And she just so happened to work out at my gym. One day she asked if I had ever taken a class there (they offer several different classes a day). I hadn't but I had always been equal parts curious and terrified.
The average gal feels self conscious at the gym. This is based purely on the self consciousness of being a woman. Now cover yourself in tattoos and see how that magnifies. EVERYWHERE you walk, eyes follow you. Lifting heavy weights and making stupid faces? You better believe someone is watching. It was a mixture of these things that made me horrified to even step into the class room alone.
But my pal Cora told me about some good classes and encouraged me to join her. So my first class I walked in and went straight to the far corner and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. Halfway through the class, I forgot anyone else was there and just focused on pushing myself. And every now and then Cora and I would catch eyes in the mirror and laugh at ourselves.
The mirrors are actually a great distraction... I just focus on my form and when I just don't want to make eye contact with anyone, I watch my feet. I also remember that everyone else is in there is self conscious too and no one is trying to make you feel bad. That is your own silly brain.
I would definitely encourage anyone that is a member of a gym to take advantage of the classes-- especially if they are free. Good instructors will push you and help you with your form so you don't injure yourself. You can do anything from kickboxing (my favorite! We call our instructor Future Butt because he yells that at us when it starts to hurt-- and he looks like Jay Z) to aerobics, to boot camp, to spin classes, to yoga... there is something for everyone! Don't be scared!
Here I am almsot a year later and I go to almost 3 classes a week. I don't know any of the instructors or class participants by name-- but I am not afraid to make eye contact and smile. Or yell out counts in class when things get hard. Or clap at the end of a good class.
I will not win any awards for miss gym congeniality this year-- but at least my ass is getting tighter.