They won’t laugh!

People who are overweight often say that they would like to join the gym, but instead of taking a step towards the gym they take a step back. They all have a common thought: ‘What if people laugh at me?’ Or ‘I’ll be the joke of the gym. They will say I give give the gym a bad name. The gym is only meant for athletes!’

I have joined different kinds of gyms at different times in my life and every single time when I signed up with a gym, there were two thoughts in my head: ‘They will laugh at me because I’m overweight and I have a disability!’ But that wasn’t the case at all. Yes, many of the people there look so good in comparison to me, but I also saw people like me who want to get fit and lose weight. I realised that people don’t point fingers at anyone because everyone goes to the gym for the same reason: to get fit and feel better about themselves! Should they laugh, it would defeat their own purpose for going to gym to exercise.In 2008, I joined a gym in Pretoria East and there was a lady that could hardly walk by herself. She wasn’t overweight, but had some weight that she could lose. Another lady always accompanied her in the gym and helped her to exercise. After a few months of regular exercise, her body was transformed and she looked so good! Never did I see people laughing at her. Instead, they were astounded!

So, look beyond the negative thoughts, join a gym or a group of people where you can exercise, get fit and feel good about yourself!

By Deon Labuschagne
Vista Clinic Happiness HELPS Ambassador