My Exercise Class is (Temporarily) Full

I dread this time of year at my gym or any gym for that matter. Why? They are packed. Packed full of the usual gym bunnies and gym rats and other animals, but also one other species that tend to appear on a less frequent schedule than most mammals.

These are the creatures that come with very high-minded notions, good intent and shortsighted goals—the short-term jock (jockus temporous). They huff and puff, don't stretch properly, exercise with bad form and hop on the scales over and over. And once they discover they did not lose 27 pounds in three days, they hibernate until their birthday, or until they lose a girlfriend or catch a nude glance in a full-length mirror. These mysterious creatures are very common and not very well understood.

All kidding aside, this situation is a sad one, as these are folks who can’t succeed in the gym. They have good intentions but no clue on how to incorporate fitness into their lives. As a result they suffer not only from a variety of physical health issues, but also the emotional effects of a sedentary life. I work with some clients on issues relating to their bodies and exercise. And there are a few common threads that seem to always appear.

First, they have very high expectations. They expect to undo years of damage—muscle loss or high body fat—in a few days. And these high expectations put them at risk for failure.

Another common problem is they over indulge, just as they did with eating and the other bad habits that motivate them to join the gym in the first place. And just like the problem of expectations, these indulgences create a dynamic that insures they won’t be able to enjoy the long-term fruits of a healthy lifestyle.

As I mentioned above, this is one area of expertise I have as a life coach, helping people either reconnect with their body or discover it for the first time. So if you'd like to find out more about how I can help you unlock your "inner jock," just drop me a line.

Now I am gonna go wait in line for a Stairmaster...at least for another week or so... :)