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The good news is that gyms are reopening across the country. The bad news is that after months of staying home, we’re all suffering from a bit of post-lockdown laziness, fatigue, and general lethargy. Whether you’re a regular gym bunny or a beginner gym-goer, it’s so important to get back to it and increase your fitness levels again – you’ll feel so much better in yourself. We realise, however, that gyms can be daunting places for women, so we’ve rounded up our top tips on how woman can make the most of their gym sessions and feel great about going. Let’s get into it!
Grab a coffee
Feeling like you need a pre-workout boost? Totally understandable. A cup of coffee can be very beneficial to your workout – the caffeine helps to stimulate your central nervous system and give you an extra jolt before you enter the gym. For an enjoyable workout, drink your coffee around half an hour beforehand to give it time to kick in.
Make a plan
If you know you’re the type to walk into a gym and suddenly forget how to use the equipment, the best thing you can do is make a plan. Before you go, work out which exercises you’re going to do, where you’re going to do them (including which machine or equipment you’ll need), and in what order. Don’t be afraid to mix this up, though, if you find someone else has beaten you to a certain space or machine! Simply move on to another part of your plan and return to that exercise later.
Listen to a killer playlist
Music can make all the difference to your workout performance, so make sure your Spotify playlist is equipped with songs that make you feel strong and powerful. Top tip: make sure your phone is on ‘Do not disturb’ so that your music-induced buzz isn’t interrupted by needless messages in the group chat! You’ll thank us for this undisturbed gym time later.
Dress the part
What you wear for the gym has a huge impact on how you feel in the gym. Make sure you give yourself that extra confidence boost by wearing something comfortable, durable, and stylish to boot. The womens tracksuits from Gym King, for example, combine comfort with style, and are perfect for any gym session. Mix and match your top and bottoms for extra fashion points!
It’s important to track your workout progress to hold yourself accountable, make sure you’re always challenging yourself, and to motivate further progress. There’s plenty of apps around where you can input the details of your gym session, or a good-old-fashioned notebook will do. Log how many reps and sets your completed, the weights you used, how long you were in the gym, and more. The next time you can go you can increase the difficulty, or tweak elements of your routine. Tracking is also great for looking back at your progress and commending yourself for how much you’ve improved!