Earlier this year I finally decided to stop making excuses, find the time in my diary, and join the gym. Although I am naturally very slim, I wanted to build up muscle tone and work on strengthening my core to support some of my chronic back pain. And so I did.

And whilst I don’t profess to be an expert in the gym, over the last year I have learned many lessons about working out, and I thought I would share them with you!

1. Don’t be afraid of weights

I think this is a really common misconception by women in the gym, that using weights will cause your muscles to become too bulky and masculine, and this is not at all true. Using weights can create long and lean muscle tone, it can increase core strength for better posture and hugely improve back issues, and it’s a great way of improving your overall health. I have found it hugely encouraging to see my strength improve and find muscles where previously they didn’t exist!

2. There is no need to feel self conscious

One of my biggest worries about joining the gym was that others would be looking at me, flailing around at the back of an aerobics class, and would ridicule me for failing to keep up. I soon realised that this isn’t the case and actually, nobody is taking any notice of what I’m doing in there – they are way too busy focusing on staying in “the zone”, or admiring themselves in the mirror!

3. Buddy up

Finding a gym buddy is such a great way of staying motivated in the gym. Left to my own accord I did half a job, putting in 75% effort, and leaving after thirty minutes. Once I started buddying up with a friend at the same gym we kept each other motivated, pushed ourselves to the limit, and on the days one of us lacked the energy to get up and to the gym, we dragged each other up and out and felt so much better for doing it.

4. Exercise is great for the mind

I was so focused on improving my physical health that I had no idea that the gym would have such a huge impact on my mental health. It has been amazing to notice a real lift in my mood, feeling mentally stronger and far less stressed.

5. The gym is not a miracle fix

As much as the gym can help to transform your body in so many ways, it isn’t a miracle fix. Every body is built differently, with our natural body shape often pre-determined. It is very easy to get caught up in admiring the perfect body on social media, but we have to remember that these celebrities often indulge in other procedures to remove stubborn fat. For those wanting to try these treatments there are various places you can go for this, such as Fat Freezing London.

** This is a collaborative post **