Standing at the front of the group exercise room, I’m getting ready to teach a class and I scan the room, looking at all of the faces. I know immediately who my regulars are; they show up every week – I also know who the first timers are. They’ve got this mixed expression of total excitement and complete and utter fear, and they’re scanning the room looking for the nearest exit, ready to bail. I lock eyes with them, give them a little extra love, and start the workout.
But I know about halfway through, I’m going to demonstrate an exercise that is going to push them way outside of their comfort zone – even farther than they felt just to show up for this class. As I drop down into a squat, kick my feet back to a modified half burpee, bring them back in and shoot up into the air, I see the look on the first timer’s faces.
“Hell no, I am not doing that!”
While I do show a modified exercise they can do, I know that if they were to just try it, they could do it. I lock eyes with them again and say on the mic, “Yes you can!” And they drop down, kick their feet back, bring them back in, and jump straight up into the air. Although they may not be as graceful as the regulars, the look on their face, that excitement that’s tenfold from just even showing up, the fact that they were able to do something they thought they would never be able to do, is worth pure gold.
Where are you thinking, “Oh hell no, I can’t do that!” Where do you need a little push to say, yes you can? Where are you sitting back, watching everyone else, thinking there’s no way that you could do that? Ask yourself, “Why not?” What’s holding you back, and what’s the worst that could happen? Even if you tried it and it didn’t work.
Unless we’re talking about a life or death situation, there really isn’t anything that’s going to be that catastrophic that’s going to cause you complete and utter failure.
Why not try that one thing and see what might happen, see even if it just gets you a little closer towards something else. And worst-case scenario, get your support team around you! Gather those people that are going to cheer you on and show you the right way, show you how you can do it.
When those first timers show up to a group exercise class, they’ve got that support system – they see everyone else around them. Where do you need to drop down and do a squat, kick your feet back, bring them back in and jump up, and know that yes you can? Comment below, I want to hear from you where you are going to jump in today.