Self Care September
Let’s address some of the common myths that can become roadblocks to practicing Self Care, and what we can do to help members overcome them.
Myth #1 I’m not ________ enough to do that yet.
“I can’t try yoga, I’m not flexible. I can’t try Zumba, I am not a good dancer. I can’t try Team Training, I am not strong enough.”
You and your teams are our first line of defense against these misconceptions. You hear the talk, the reasons, excuses and worries. Meet them with compassion, empathy, acknowledgment and reassurance.
TRUTH: Our classes and sessions are here to help them reach those goals, not to be postponed for when they think they are fit/ strong/ flexible enough. We are here to meet them where they are.
Myth #2 I just don’t have the motivation or energy, I must be lazy.
TRUTH: Energy begets energy. Workouts are something we do to CREATE energy, not just to spend an overabundance of it.
Our members are not lazy, they are normal with crazy-busy and often exhausting lives. They need the workout to create the energy they desire and to relieve their stress. The secret is, once movement becomes a habit, they will be able to feel an increase in energy, and feeling tired becomes the reason they do it, instead of the reason they don’t.
Myth #3 I don’t know what I am doing, I’ll look stupid and everyone will judge me.
TRUTH: This is a completely normal fear! Rather than trying to convince someone not to feel that way, normalize it. Even seasoned fitness professionals feel this way! If you can ask yourself if there is a class on our schedule that might make you feel that way too, tap into that, relate to it, and overcome it yourself so you can speak from experience when you tell them it is still worth trying. Here are a few things that can make it easier:
- Find out a bit about it beforehand (this is where the knowledge of your team is imperative to impart class descriptions properly).
- Bring a friend or make a friend. Having a familiar face beside you is comforting. Ask members if there is someone they can bring with them to try it out on a 7 day pass. If not, offer to introduce them to someone already in the class..
- Be assured that members are too busy focusing on themselves to judge anyone else.
Myth #4: I’m just not one of those people that enjoys exercise.
TRUTH: I would venture to say that MANY gym-goers don’t love exercise in and of itself. Those who do it, have learned to LOVE the benefits. The energy, endorphins, detoxification, stress release, strength. All those things mostly come after the fact.
I always recommend finding something that is enjoyable to you (biking, boxing, swimming, dancing etc.) But if you’re not in love with something like that,that is OK too. Exercise is still for you. It is possible to fall in love with the effects of exercise and let that become your driver.
Myth #5 NEVER SKIP A WORKOUT #HUSTLE #SleepWhenYouDie #NoPainNoGain
TRUTH: Self care is very much about doing what your body needs. If you are low on sleep, injured, sick, recovering from something major, in adrenal fatigue; then pushing through is not what you need. Our advice should not be the exact same for each situation. It is okay to take a rest day. It is okay to have a restorative day. If someone tells you they have been sick all week, so they want to sweat it out in Body Combat, maybe sweating it out in the sauna is more appropriate. Give them that permission to make self care what it needs to be in the moment. It is not one size fits all.
Myth #6 Success is only a clearly defined class outline.
TRUTH: Success can be 20 minutes on a cycle bike, not just a whole 50 minute spin class. Many of us will opt to do nothing because we don’t have the energy, time or stamina to do a “whole workout”. You can encourage our members to try out CHUZE TO MOVE: allowing them to dip their toe in a class and leave when their body feels ready. You eat an elephant one bite at a time. How can someone ever progress to a full hour class if we do not give them permission to start with 15 minutes? This ties back into myth #1 and is a huge reason why people think they need to be fit before they can do a class. Help explain this initiative to them when giving the GX tour, so we can help more members feel successful in an accessible way.
Social Fitness- Group Exercise, Team Training- THE WHY
Social interaction, connection and community are HUGE drivers in overall health.
Making people feel like they matter and belong literally saves lives. We have heard the testimonials from members who say being a part of Chuze saved their life. It wasn’t a burpee or bench press that saved them, it was your teams making them feel like they matter and belong. The classroom and studio is a fantastic place to take that connection you make and the front desk and blossom it into a community that they can belong to. We have instructors that plan coffee or acai bowl outings after class, people make friends in the classroom and studio. That is more powerful than any exercise ever could be, and then the fitness is a cherry on top!
If you would like to read more about the impact on social interaction and health:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/ states: “For example, supportive interactions with others benefit immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular functions and reduce allostatic load, which reflects wear and tear on the body due, in part, to chronically overworked physiological systems engaged in stress responses (McEwen 1998; Seeman et al. 2002;”