As the New Year approaches, many of you who already go to the gym will notice an increase in the membership, perhaps creating a need to wait for a particular weight (ha, wait...get it!), or a particular machine. Although this can be a smidge annoying, we should celebrate the newbies and make some room! New Year's resolutions not withstanding, the new year can be a good time to start a different challenge and rather than be bothered by the standing-room-only crowds during your workout, it can be an ideal time to be an encourager.

There are many articles out there for first-timers to the gym, particularly the weight room, as the prevailing opinion is that we, women, are not "welcomed" in the parts of the gym stereotypically set aside for the men (such as the free weight area). Honestly, I don't let it worry me and I've never experienced this attitude. I have noticed that most of the time, my male counterparts are too busy doing their own training to pay attention to me. In fact, the vast majority of the men I meet during my training, are very gracious and polite. Of course, it's important to return the favor by not hogging certain equipment, or if someone is standing near a piece of equipment you want to use, ask ahead of time to make sure they aren't just resting between sets before jumping in. The few women I see on the free weight side are there just as I am...to train. Another key to being comfortable on the free weight side is to become familiar with the equipment--read about it online or, better yet, ask one of the staff members at the gym to show you what to do. They don't mind! Of course, if you are not comfortable with free weights, the machines are there for much the same thing and are generally safer if you are just starting out. I tend to enjoy free weights, as I am not able to "cheat" by using my stronger right side to compensate for my left side, especially with shoulder lifts and bicep/tricep work.

Finally, with the New Year, please please don't fall into the "drop 50 lbs in 6 weeks" mentality. You didn't get unfit or fat in 6 weeks, so why should it take 6 weeks to lose it? Lest anyone think I am being holier-than-thou, I suffer from a condition that makes is especially difficult to lose weight, unfortunately. So I struggle greatly with losing weight and, in general, try to focus on my fitness and how my clothes fit as opposed to the scale or the BMI charts. I get very frustrated with my progress and, believe me, sometimes I wish that I could safely lose a bunch of weight with much less time invested. It's an insidious trap that can be very difficult to ignore, particularly if we buy into media expectations. Don't get me wrong. I still try to lose the extra weight I have, but this must be done through my diet. Not A diet, but my diet overall. Now that the holidays are winding to a close, the emphasis for me is getting back into my routine--regular workouts and cleaner eating, as opposed to the miracle "6 minutes to a 6 pack" or trying to deprive myself food-wise.