We all know how difficult it can be to begin a new fitness regimen. Even the most experienced athlete has trepidation about taking up a new sport. Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, arguably one of the greatest athletes of his time, expressed his fear at training for the New York City Marathon on more than one occasion. He could have rested on his laurels. Instead he chose to undertake a new challenge, one that he feared from the beginning.

Fear can take on many forms, especially when it comes to exercise and fitness. Facing the challenges fear presents can be a workout in itself, but it can be done. FDR was right: the only thing that can stop you is fear itself.

Managing these fears can lead to success the next time you want to try something new to expand your fitness routine.

Fear of Embarrassment.

Learning to snowboard at age 48 was one of the most humbling experiences of my life…and the most embarrassing. Tikes barely out of diapers were giving me pointers on the bunny slope, usually looking down at my crumpled form. Humiliation hung over me like a cloud for days. But over time I got better, and the experience was as illuminating as it was exhilarating. I learned that it’s almost impossible to die of embarrassment and that people really admire someone, especially an older someone, who is game enough to try something new. Being publicly and ostentatiously imperfect can actually be liberating. You may just want to give it a try.

Fear of the Unknown.

My friend Gloria is a control freak, as she herself happily admits. Not knowing what comes next is her bête noire. She is plagued by “what-ifs.” “What if we get lost?” she will say on a hike. “What if I hate the teacher,” was her question before our first Yoga class. Getting and staying fit is part of an on-going personal quest, where the future is an open, and uncertain, adventure. Letting go of expectations and a fear of an unknown – and often unknowable – outcome is part of the fun. Try to let go and enjoy.

Fear of the Activity

Let’s face it. Certain things, especially things active people do, are, well, scary. Climbing, whether it’s hiking a steep mountain or working out on a rock wall, comes immediately to my mind. But for another woman, open water swimming might be just the thing to trigger a major panic attack. Kayaking, mountain biking, skiing – for women who have mastered these activities, paddling, pedaling or hurtling down a mountain are the height of enjoyment. For a novice, they could well be the stuff of nightmares. The fact is, everyone has to start somewhere and it’s easier to conquer fears by taking baby steps. Find a great teacher and get comfortable with each level of the activity before moving to the next. Enjoy your progress as you go. If you take it slowly, fear often falls by the wayside.

Fear of Pain.

Avoiding pain is a reflexive human response. If our brain tells us something will hurt, we automatically stay away. A healthy fear of extreme discomfort serves us well, but uninformed fear can keep us from experiencing new ways to exercise. For non-runners, a marathon might sound like self-administered torture, something to avoid at all costs. But for those who have trained for and completed a 26.2-mile race, the pain endured is negligible compared to the benefits of having completed the challenge. Unlike traumatic injury, the pain associated with honest athletic effort – muscle soreness or bone-deep fatigue – can be a badge of courage, an accomplishment rather than something to avoid.

Fear of Failure.

For women, especially women over 50, fear of failure can keep them from trying new ways to keep fit. Fear of failure encapsulates all the fears above and wraps them into one overwhelming package. “I don’t want to make a fool of myself, I’m afraid to try it, I don’t know what it will be like, I don’t want it to get hurt.” All these sentiments can combine to make us afraid to fail and therefore afraid to even try.
But I believe that life after 50 should be about possibility, about expanding our horizons and embracing the new – even if we’re scared out of our shorts. We’ve looked foolish before, we’ve explored the unknown, we’ve experienced pain, and yes, we have failed. And yet here we are…ready to try again.
I contend that fear has no room in your fitness routine. I dare you to try something new, no matter how much it frightens you. My guess is you’ll be really glad you did.