Afraid to do exercise class and/or karate...but it's "free"...
My oldest son has been in karate for a few years now, and my middle son just joined. I love his karate school. All the instructors are great and the learning model, its not just about karate but improving the whole person, mind as well as body. The school has this really great policy that you only pay for two members of the family. Then the rest are free. This means once we added my middle son, me, my husband, and eventually our little baby, have the option to go at no extra cost. The school is not cheap, mind you, but they realize that paying for w whole family is not in most people's budgets.
So now if I want I can go through and learn karate. Its not something I'd ever pursue on my own, but it seems interesting. My husband would like to go, as he actually attended this school as a child, and stopped as a teen, but would like to start going back.
The school also offers a cardio kickboxing class, but I am so nervous to attend. (I can do that free of charge now too) To be honest, I'm afraid I'll be the fatest/slowest person there and I wont be able to keep up and end up making an *** of myself....and then have to face my son's karate teachers after that. I hate to admit this, but one of his teachers is a really hot guy. And I just feel silly jumping around with all my jiggle jaggle flying about! I don't know anything about the class, I don't know who teaches it, I don't know if its a mix of sizes or full of super fit people...It runs late at night so I am not there when its going on. I have seen the adult karate class, and its a mix of fitness levels.
Anyway, I feel like these two things, now that they are "free" that I'd be a fool not to take advantage of one. But I don't think I could commit to karate right now, and even so I'm too afraid to even try. And I'm just down right embarrassed to go to the cardio kick boxing. It flat out comes down to being haunted by getting so severely ridiculed in gym class growing up that I actually get physical anxiety at the thought, let alone the action, of participating in a group sport or activity in front of others...
What would you do?
Last edited by GlamourGirl827; 06-04-2014 at 03:13 PM.
I feel for ya glam. I too was relentlessly mocked in grade school gym classes, and I understand how challenging it can be to put yourself out there, huffing and sweating, knowing full well you may* be being judged negatively. Here is how I've changed my mindset on this, and although I still weigh over 200 lbs I no longer think twice about judgmental douche canoes when I am heading out to run, bike, or participate in a class. I remind myself that other peoples opinions of me are none of my business, unless they verbalize them (at which point they should be very, very afraid of the wrath they are about to incur :P lol) I remind myself that I don't want to set an example of letting the possibility of outside judgement dictate what I will and will not do to my children. I recall how much my own perceptions of others have changed since the bullying years, and know that even those who treated me like crap in school would likely not still be as judgmental as they once were (There are positives to getting older! I remind myself how far I've come, and that I have every right to OWN my accomplishments and feel like a total badarse for improving my fitness level so dramatically over the last few years (as do you!). You may not believe you look the part, you may find it difficult at first, but you can rest assured it will get easier and if you push yourself to just do it, I'll betchya you won't be harboring any self-doubt about walking into class like you own the place after the first few sessions! Strength of esteem, like strength of body, takes practice. I say...GO FOR IT GIRL!!!
Seriously, GO! I bet once you break the ice and do it once, you'll get over that crippling self-consciousness you're feeling now and you'll be glad you went. I used to do a cardio kickboxing class and it was AWESOME!
And look, if you go and find you HATE it and you can't get past feeling silly -- fake a hammy pull and leave. And that's that. And if you put this in the back of your brain and you KNOW you can leave maybe you'll feel up to at least TRYING IT! Stand in the back if that's what it takes to get you there!
But I really suggest you try the cardio kickboxing class. You'll love throwing punches and kicks, it feels so good. And it can be modified for all levels, you can do it!
LovesToTravel nailed it perfectly. Fear's a funny thing - it's really primal and under certain circumstances it can save your life. For a situation like this, however, it's just a sensation. Acknowledge it, wallow in it, yell "I'm scared!" into the wind a few times, and then go anyway. There is absolutely no better feeling in the world than conquering unjustified fear. And you might find out that this was the sport you were meant to love!
Go for it!! I started going to yoga classes about 2 months ago and had all those fears before and now I love it. I started in a small class with people I knew but now go to classes with all kinds of people. Last week there were only two of us there - great big me and a tall, really tiny, considerably younger girl and it didn't bother me at all.
Talk to the instructor. Ask which class would be best for someone like you in your situation. There should be classes that are more oriented for beginning students. For the kickboxing class, just ask about what it is like. If it sounds like it would be appropriate for your level, you could just go and observe it one day.
As for karate, I would be astounded if anyone in a class that included beginning students would raise an eyebrow at all. My kids have been in karate for years and I've seen beginning older students (I'm talking even up into the 70s) and everyone has always been very encouraging.
ok, I'm going to do it! it might be tonight if hubby gets home in time and I can get the kids to bed before then. If not I can go another night. its tues and thurs. I am terrified!!! But one of the changes I've been trying to make in life is to face this specific fear, of trying new things because what it comes down to is I have a huge fear of failure!
Last edited by GlamourGirl827; 06-05-2014 at 04:29 PM.
I've always found that the most satisfying achievements in life are the ones that I'm most intimidated by. Even if the class ends up not being a good fit for you, facing your fears is something to be very proud of. Good luck!
Afraid to do exercise class and/or karate...but it's "free"...
And I just feel silly jumping around with all my jiggle jaggle flying about! I don't know anything about the class, I don't know who teaches it, I don't know if its a mix of sizes or full of super fit people...It runs late at night so I am not there when its going on. I have seen the adult karate class, and its a mix of fitness levels.
I remind myself how far I've come, and that I have every right to OWN my accomplishments and feel like a total badarse for improving my fitness level so dramatically over the last few years (as do you!). You may not believe you look the part, you may find it difficult at first, but you can rest assured it will get easier and if you push yourself to just do it, I'll betchya you won't be harboring any self-doubt about walking into class like you own the place after the first few sessions! Strength of esteem, like strength of body, takes practice. I say...GO FOR IT GIRL!!!
And you might find out that this was the sport you were meant to love!
