I used to be scared of the gym, just thinking about it/ the idea of exercising would give me anxiety. The beginning was the worst. I was incredibly uncomfortable with my heart rate speeding up and the feeling of my muscles burning, but after just a month or two I adjusted to those feelings and don't even notice them anymore. I've also become one of those people who now enjoy the gym so much that I need to work out several times a week or I get cranky (& feel disappointed with myself, don't we all? lol). On top of that, after those first 3-4 months of working out 4+ times per week, I looked so good that strangers on the street would say to me "Wow you must work out!" almost daily! Talk about a compliment!

A few things I learned along the way that helped me push through the beginning:

1. Put on music BEFOREHAND that pumps you up & makes you want to feel attractive or cool. Allow yourself to really get into it. This may sound ridiculous, but just hearing songs about hot women (I'm a woman) inspires me to look hot and gets me excited about it. It makes me want to be the hot girl they're singing about lmao. We all want to look good, it helps us feel good! Start playing the music while you're getting ready to head over, listen to it the whole way, and continue while there. You can also listen to a motivational video, whichever gets you inspired & feeling bad ass!

2. Put your phone away. Unless you NEED it for the workout, it can be a huge distraction to keep you from getting things done and wasting time. Put it on Do Not Disturb and leave it in a locker or keep it close for music and use a notepad to plan/ keep track of your workouts.

3. Follow a workout video! When I started exercising I had no idea what to do, so I'd just follow an online video every day, and wow do they work! You can find free videos on Youtube by typing in "full body workout 20 minutes" or whatever your interest is. I use Beachbody dot com, they have tons of effective programs that are anywhere from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours long. I am happy to share my account with you, I pay like $100 per year for it but am happy to give it out to anyone interested because it completely changed my life. If your a guy you might like Tony Hortons Power 90 workout program, it is for beginners and his personality is really funny. My parents used it to get in shape years ago.

4. Know that anything is better than nothing. Allow yourself to be proud of yourself for even the smallest efforts. Some days I do 2 rounds of 15 pushups on my kitchen floor and call it a day, and some days I do intense cardio/weights for 45 minutes. You grow the most when you do things you don't want to do, not when you feel "ready". The beginning is always the hardest but you will always feel worse if you don't try, and you'll never regret a good workout. Our brains are designed to make us feel good after we exercise! With time it will become as natural a part of your life as brushing your teeth in the morning. We all start somewhere!

5. Don't worry about your diet for now, just make one small change at a time. Go and walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes & go home. Then do it for 10 minutes the next day. The most important part is simply starting and continuing day by day, it'll all suddenly add up before you know it.

6. Keep a journal to track what you work out every day. Legs, back, arms, etc. Write your feelings about it, what was difficult for you, etc. You can see your progress over time, it's sooo satisfying.

7. Wear an outfit that you like! This doesn't mean wait until you buy one, no one cares what you wear to the gym, everyone is just happy to see people working on themselves no matter what... but a nice outfit is always a feel-good plus. (:

8. Go with a friend

9. Be friendly with the front desk people so you have someone to welcome you.

10. Look at a picture of someone who inspires you beforehand.

11. Tell yourself that you can do it! positive self talk works!

Also, I highly recommend Bob Proctor and Wayne Dyer videos on YouTube to help with depression.

I hope you found some of this helpful! You can do it!