Guest post by Jamie Morton

The first few months of any new year are an exciting time when you work at a gym. There’s an influx of new faces, fresh blood and resolutions. Most of those resolutions are forgotten around March, when the health clubs start to thin out again. A few of the new faces stick around, but for the most part, come March there are enough treadmills and ellipticals again, and it’s back to business-as-usual for us fitness professionals.

Maybe you began this year as one of the resolved; maybe you’re now one of the resigned. Or maybe you didn’t even bother making a health resolution this year, because it didn’t seem worth it. I’d like to offer some advice to both groups. But first: a story.

I was not what you might call an athletic kid. I was more a part of the nose-in-a-book camp. I wasn’t any good at volleyball; I hated running; I played basketball in middle school, but was on the last resort squad (you know, that segment of the bench that only sees action if voodoo simultaneously cripples every other member of the team). So I did other things.

They were not active things.

Come college, I tinkered around with jogging, because my roommate would occasionally jog. I sometimes went to the gym to lift weights because–hey! free gym membership! I played Ultimate Frisbee because I had a crush on a team captain. Rock climbing club, same story. But I wasn’t really active, and I certainly looked it (see photo #1).

The summer before junior year, my mentor shared with me some pictures of her first triathlon. A friend and I casually agreed that next year we would join her. That year, I met two other people in my classes who were training for triathlons. That was the tipping point for me: if they could do it, so could I.

So I picked a race. I started training. I taught myself as much as I could, using the Interwebs for information and inspiration. And I managed to swim, bike, and run all the way through my very first race. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. And I came in second to last. I vowed that I would never do another race like that again.

But, I knew I could do better, and so by the end of the week, I was looking for another opportunity to race, ready to train again.

Triathlon has kind of become my thing. Without it, I wouldn’t be as active as I am now. I certainly wouldn’t have a job as a personal trainer. My circle of friends would be completely different. Oh, and I’d probably be about 50 pounds heavier, like many of my friends from high school.

The point is that I have a thing that I do. It’s triathlon. And I love it. I always tell clients there are really only two ways to get fit and stay fit: one is to have a close encounter with death that makes you realize that you have to get in shape no matter what the cost. The other is to find an activity that you truly enjoy, or one that you want to conquer. Guess which path is easier.

Not that it’s easy, by any means. Because how the heck do you go out there and just find something?

Only way that I’ve found is to try a lot of things. Here are a few suggestions for getting started.

- Group fitness classes. Step, spinning, and Zumba might not complete your life or anything, but you might find that you enjoy the social aspects of a group class. Go with friends and use the class as an opportunity to spend quality time with each other. Most of the area health clubs offer a wide array of classes, free to members (dues at both Genesis and the YMCA include all group fitness classes). That health club membership might just be worth it if you’re attending two or three classes a week.

- Water aerobics classes. Do you enjoy splashing around in the water? Maybe you’ll enjoy the water aerobics environment. Same benefits as group fitness, plus easier on the joints and with constant resistance. In addition to Genesis and the Y, Health Strategies and WSU also offer aquatics classes.

- Yoga. Some people love it, some people don’t. But if you love it, chances are you’ll really love it, so it’s worth giving it a shot. And is it enough to get you strong and fit? You bet!

- Team sports. Adult soccer leagues, adult softball leagues, rugby, why not? You may surprise yourself by finding that you really enjoy pounding another group of people into the ground. Or that getting pounded into the ground yourself sparks an intense desire to improve.

- Running. It might not be for everyone, but there’s definitely something to be said for setting a goal (might be running a race, or it might be running 2 miles), training hard, and achieving it. Running’s easy, because it takes so little equipment and so little prep time. Try to keep in mind that it should feel natural and joyful (but don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t immediately feel that great).

- Cycling. Okay, you geeks. I know you’re out there. This is your sport, kids. Gear galore. Plenty of opportunity to spend money. Lots and lots of training data and numbers. iPhone apps. Yes, geeks; this is your sport.

- Triathlon. It’s a sport that is for everyone. The variety of three sports keeps it interesting, and breaks the races up into chunks that are achievable. Don’t question it. Just try it. If I can, you can.

Jamie Morton trains all kinds of people -from grandmas with double knee replacements to Ironman triathletes – at Genesis Health Club. Email her with questions at jamielynnmorton (at) gmail (dot) com. You can also check out her blog.

Related posts:

1. [move] Work Out at a Wichita Gym
2. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: The Finale
3. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: Week 2
4. [move] Rock Climbing on the Prairie
5. [move] Running Just As Fast As I Can: Week 3