Exercise Intimidates Me - Introduction
This barrier to exercise is probably one of the most difficult to address. I say that because most of the issues surrounding intimidation are mental. Dealing with something you may have been feeling for months or even years can be very difficult, to say the least.
This is one of those unspoken barriers to exercise. It is not something that many people will openly admit. When I'm selling health club memberships to someone, they often use another excuse as to why they don't want to join rather than admitting they are too intimidated. To say you are intimidated to work out or join a health club can be embarrassing. It's saying that you are afraid. You are showing weakness. Nobody wants to admit that.
It seems society today tends to get hung up on a power trip. We want to be in control of our lives, not let someone control them. We want to have more money, more material things, a higher position in our company, and be the best at everything. People who are weak are looked down upon. So to admit that you feel intimidated to exercise out of fear, whether it is in a health club or at home, is something people tend to avoid.
As we talked about in Chapter 3, there are really only three places that you exercise-a health club, your home or outside. Each of these places will bring with it a different intimidation factor, some more than others.
Intimidation tends to be a greater fear for those contemplating joining a health club. Therefore, most of what I say will be directed toward putting you at ease when it comes to exercising at a health club.
In addition, it's my opinion that a health club will, by far, give you the best environment to succeed with exercise. For those who are thinking of exercising at home, my advice will also be helpful; however, I don't see intimidation as an overriding barrier in that setting. The same is true for those who exercise outdoors.
In the previous chapter I discussed how important it is to have a vision and to use it as a weapon to achieve exercise success. When intimidation is a concern, having a vision can get you through. Remember that and dwell on these words by Charles Swindol, "With vision there is no room to be frightened. No reason for intimidation. It's time to march forward! Let's be confident and positive!" Let's march forward and overcome intimidation as a barrier to exercise.
