The gym… it’s the most common place that we think of when it comes to losing weight. After all, that seems to be where all the hardbodies are. You know them, the athletic types walking around with their water bottles and duffel bags. Some look like they must live in the gym to be as fit as they are and, it’s true, there are some who spend hours a day working on their physiques.

For most, the gym is where our fitness journey begins, perhaps in the new year when we choose to work on our resolutions, or maybe because of a doctor’s advice to better your health. It might be easy to feel intimidated walking into spacious rooms of weights and various machines where you aren’t sure of what they do or how to operate them. You might not know what to do first or how to begin your fitness journey there. Some will jump in, head first, and simply start using the ones they recognize while others may mimic the veterans in the gym to get a routine down. There are also trainers available to you who can speak with you about your fitness level and goals and help design a routine specific to you. The internet also offers a wealth of information on fitness.

Once you get started and find your comfort zone in the gym, you will begin to understand that the gym isn’t just about slimming down or even building muscle. It isn’t even about looking as fit as those athletic types around you. Your body will begin to feel better overall in a display of how much your workouts are benefiting your health and well-being. You will feel your stress level lower as you work your muscles. Is it hard work? Absolutely. Your body won’t change if it isn’t feeling a little bit of a struggle during your workouts but, when you are finished, you will feel stronger, healthier and proud of how much you can actually do, regardless of your fitness level. For many, the gym becomes a place of sanity, a place they go to feel better after a tough day at work or a stressful day with the kids. It is not just for your body but also for the mind. Some say it is even more for the mind, claiming it as their church, so to speak. Your body will begin to change, to look and feel stronger and more chiseled, your inflammation will disappear, your numbers will begin to lower and best of all, you will feel more accomplished than you ever have, recognizing how much your body can truly undergo. You will begin to actually need the gym because it becomes your sanctuary, where you heal both your mind and body, and you will begin to look forward to your workouts and progressing them. It will become difficult to take a day off.

The gym is not survival of the fittest. It isn’t about competition with other people. You will likely find that others in the gym are on the same journey as you and are always willing to help with your form and workouts. Good nutrition and a good diet are obviously great ways to begin your fitness journey because you can’t work off a bad diet, but the gym is mandatory to supplement your success for mind, body and health. If you all want to feel better, healthier, less pain and inflammation, less body aches and get off of your cholesterol and blood pressure medications, get your gym membership and start your journey.