Overwhelmed in Fitness Centers - Here are Some Tips
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Ever walk into a weight room and feel completely overwhelmed? Are you intimidated because you think everybody is in great shape and you are not? Many folks who are entertaining the idea of getting back into shape get turned off immediately by those feelings. Many people are also threatened by the number of foreign weight machines, treadmills, stationery bikes, recumbent bikes, stair steppers, elliptical gliders and free weights. How do you work these things? What are all these buttons? If you have asked yourself these questions. . .here are some tips for you that may make your fitness journey a little easier:

The bench press.

1) Go with a friend. Having a buddy to exercise with really helps motivate you to do more than you would than if by yourself.

2) Hire a personal trainer. Personal trainers, like myself, are your workout buddies. They can help push you properly and keep you from injuring yourself. Most are flexible enough to exercise with you at your time schedule and will help you set a time for fitness. Fitting fitness into your schedule is the hardest part of starting a plan. Most personal trainers range from $30 to $50.00 an hour. So find one that will exercise with you once a week and provide a plan of the week for you to do on your own - if you are counting your pennies.

Lat pulldowns.

3) Take a group class - Group classes are not just aerobics. Now there are bicycling classes called "Spinning," body Sculpting classes, which uses free weights, and, believe it or not, people even pay for Bootcamp style classes. All of which will get you back to your lighter days.

Leg press.

4) There are even options for those who do not want to go to a gym or fitness center. All I need to workout is a set of monkey bars at a playground, a place to run and swim. Calisthenics - yes, the military favorite of pushups, pullups, situps, squats, lunges, running and swimming - can get you in the best shape of your life. You can also do these exercises inside your home as well, but you may have to go to a local YMCA or swim club in order to add swimming to your list of activities. Check out the training plan at the Stew Smith.com Fitness eBook Store for some downloadable plans that really work.

5) Out of all the ways there is to exercise, I still feel that getting up and walking is the best. Pick it up a bit and jog or bike if you want something more intense. Walk inside the local mall if you battle weather in your area during the winter. This exercise is free and easy to do. Once again go with a friend to keep it interesting and fun. And always - remember to drink lots of water everyday especially if you add exercise to your world.

Fitness can be fun and does not have to be intimidating as long as you are willing to try and learn new things from fitness professionals, books, videos, and of course fitness related articles such as this one at StewSmith.com. Thanks for the e-mails. Keep them coming at stew@stewsmith.com.

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Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.  He specializes in military and law enforcement fitness, particularly Special Operations units.  Please feel free to email him at Stew@stewsmith.com with any comments or questions.