Going to the gym should be a pleasure something you look forward to and enjoy while you are there, not just another agonising and boring chore.

Don’t start at the same level as experienced long standing gym members. You must start at a level and pace comfortable for you and gently push yourself harder slowly and gradually so you are not straining muscle and joints that are used to be exercised.

A good idea if possible for you, is for your first few sessions to hire a personal trainer who will help you learn correct techniques and positions and also the correct posture. This would eliminate you from learning bad habits and causing yourself any damage. They will help find the right exercises and routines for you without feeling forced into a corner. You do have a say, you will both work as a team to gain the balanced diet and exercise regime to suit you.

Why do so many of us avoid the gym, is it laziness, the feeling of failure or maybe even embarrassment.

Going to the gym is not to be competitive with everyone in there, it should be to help you become a healthier individual and maybe to help lose a little weight.

But……… Is it fat loss or weight loss you are trying to achieve?

The two are totally different and are definitely not the same.

Weight loss is achieved by a sensible, balanced and healthy diet and yes a fair amount of weight can be lost this way, but may still look flabby in places and have loose skin in others. This is because you need to lose fat this is done through exercise. Exercise burns the fatty tissues which the body stores.

Although a healthy balanced diet is excellent for you and is needed to achieve a certain amount of weight loss and will also help you cut the risk of a heart attack, diabetes etc. With this alone you will not gain the slender body shape that you are aiming for, due to excess fatty tissue remaining this is why you need a balance of weight loss and fat loss.

In simple terms to gain the slender toned body most of us want a healthy balanced diet plus exercise to burn excess fat is the only way to achieve your goal.