NORFOLK, Va. - Getting fit and healthy for the new year is at the top of most resolution lists, but it can be intimidating if you have never stepped foot inside of a gym. News 3 This Morning is taking action to help calm some of that "gym phobia" by showing you what's what before you step inside.
"A lot of the machines in the gym look like transformers ready to take human form," said trainer Ken Williams with Anytime Fitness in Norfolk. "So that's why most people are intimidated. But once you start using the machines, you'll find out they're user friendly."
Check out the video in the story to get a rundown of Williams' suggestion for a beginner workout. It includes the pectoral fly machine, abdominal machine, leg curl machine, bicep curls, triceps kick backs, rear dumbbell fly, and cardio on the treadmill with a high incline.
"Get over that fear that people are looking at you and staring at you, because they're not," said Williams. "In fact you'll find 80 percent of the people in the gym are just like you."
Williams encourages beginners to ask for help from gym staff to ensure safety of use and suggested weight increments.
"I always say the beginning of a thousand mile journey begins with the first step," he said. "The first step is to walk through that door."
There are several area gyms offering specials to sign up for membership:
