The phrase “comfort zone” is so common that many people may not understand what a comfort zone is or what their particular comfort zone may be. As applied to your workouts, breaking out of your comfort zone may be the key to breakthrough results or finally achieving your goal.
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Your comfort zone, as applied purely to your fitness habits, is the routine that you know you can accomplish with relatively little effort, absolutely no anxiety, and without learning anything new. For some people, this may mean a treadmill workout and for others it may be the weight room. When you suggest to a runner that he or she should hit the weight room for cross training, you may see obvious anxiety or discomfort with the idea of trying something that they may not feel prepared to conquer. If you’re a solo athlete, for example, the idea of Zumba or CycleFit may fill you with questions. If you never try anything new, will you ever really see total body results? Probably not. When we stay in our comfort zones, we often plateau and stop seeing results on and off the scale. If you’re ready to see what else you can do for better results, FitClub has three easy ways to jump out of your comfort zone and maximize your potential.
Make a plan. If the idea of trying something new or challenging fills you with anxiety, developing a plan might help set you at ease. You might be more comfortable if you plan your workout in advance. For example, if you’ve never set foot in the weight room before, having a plan of what you’ll do during your strength training time can help you mentally prepare. Likewise, those more familiar with the weight room can develop a plan by checking out FitClub’s group exercise schedule in advance and choosing a workout that might be the best fit for their goals and schedule. Setting a specific time on your schedule for strength training or a group exercise class, helps you hold yourself accountable to your own goal.
Ask for help. As a FitClub member you have access to experts twenty-four seven and asking for help can put you at ease and guarantee you get the most out of your experience. Working with a personal trainer can quickly force you out of your comfort zone in a controlled and managed atmosphere where you can ask questions, correct your form, and learn a new (maybe even a new favorite) workout.
Manage your expectations and enjoy yourself. You probably aren’t already an expert at swimming if you’ve never set foot in the pool. That’s okay when you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone. Allowing yourself plenty of room for gradual improvement in any new workout is the key to happiness. Rewarding yourself for just attempting something new makes it far more likely that you’ll continue the challenge of stepping out of your comfort zone.
What’s something you’ve tried at FitClub that seemed to be outside your comfort zone?
