First day at the gym.

Is it normal to feel nervous before your first day at the gym?

Yes, completely. Almost everyone walks into a gym for the first time feeling that everybody else knows what they are doing and is watching them. They are not; they are thinking about their own next set. Whether you are joining a gym in Lahore for the first time or coming back after years away, the people around you started somewhere too.

The nerves usually come from not knowing what will happen, so it helps to know the day in advance: what to bring, what to wear, what the first hour looks like and what to do in the weeks after. Once you know the shape of the day, there is very little left to worry about.

What should you bring to the gym on your first day?

You need very little. This is what to bring to the gym the first time:

• Clothes you can move in. Comfortable, breathable kit you can squat, stretch and lie on a bench in. Nothing needs to be new or branded.
• Clean training shoes. A flat, stable pair is better for lifting than very soft running shoes. Clean, because they are going on a gym floor, so keep them off the street.
• A water bottle. Especially in a Lahore summer, when you lose more water than you notice.
• A small towel. For your face, and for wiping a bench when you finish with it.
• Anything your coach should know. An old injury, a medical condition, medication you take, or a date you are training for, such as a wedding or a trek in the north.

Eat something light a couple of hours before, such as eggs and a roti or yoghurt with fruit, so you are neither hungry nor full. If you are coming straight from the office, a banana in the car is better than nothing.

What happens in the first hour?

At a well-run gym, your first hour is mostly about you: your goals, your history and how you move. At Structure, every club runs the same free first visit, and it follows the opening steps of the Structure Method: assess, then plan.

Nobody will ask you to lift something heavy, run until you feel sick or prove anything on the first day.

You do not need to be fit before you start. The training is what gets you fit.

Do you need to be fit before you join a gym?

No. Waiting until you feel fit is the most common reason people put off starting, and it gets things the wrong way round, because the gym is where you get fit. A good gym for beginners expects you to arrive unfit, and most members at Structure start as beginners.

Honesty matters more than your current fitness. If your knees ache on stairs, if you get breathless quickly, or if you have not exercised for years, say so on the first day. That only changes where you start. If you are in your forties or older, our guide to strength training after 40 covers how to begin well.

What should a beginner do in the first few sessions?

If you train on your own after your first visit, keep the early sessions short and easy. Something like this is plenty:

• Five to ten minutes of easy warm-up: walking, cycling or light rowing, then some gentle mobility for the hips and shoulders.
• Three or four basic movements, such as a goblet squat, a dumbbell row, a press-up with your hands on a bench and a short carry.
• Two or three sets of each, at a weight you could lift a few more times with good form.
• A few minutes of easy movement and stretching to finish.

That will feel almost too gentle, and it is meant to: the first fortnight is for learning the movements and building the habit of turning up. A plan from a personal trainer in Lahore or an on-floor coach will set the exact exercises for you. Weighing one-to-one against classes? Read personal trainer or group classes.

What are the unwritten rules of a gym?

Every gym has a few habits that keep it pleasant for everyone. Nobody minds a beginner who does not know them yet, and basic gym etiquette is easy to pick up:

• Put weights back on the rack when you have finished with them.
• Wipe down a bench or pad after you use it.
• Do not stand right in front of someone using the mirror, or beside a rack someone is lifting from.
• If you need equipment someone is using, ask if you can take turns between their sets.
• Ask a coach whenever you are unsure. That is what they are on the floor for.

How sore will you be after your first day at the gym?

You may feel stiff a day or two later, especially in your legs. This delayed soreness is normal when muscles do something new, and it fades within a few days. Light movement such as walking usually helps more than resting completely. Sharp pain, pain inside a joint, or soreness that gets worse rather than better is different: stop and tell your coach.

Soreness is not a measure of a good session. If you are sore for days after every visit, the plan is too much too soon, and it should be adjusted.

How often should you go in the first few weeks?

Two or three sessions a week, with a day off between them, is the right start for most beginners. It is enough to make progress and leaves time to recover. Our guide to how many days a week to go to the gym explains how to build the week as you get fitter.

Pick days and times you can actually keep, around office hours, traffic and family; a modest schedule you keep for six months beats an ambitious one that lasts three weeks.

What if you would rather train on a women-only floor?

Many women prefer to start somewhere quieter. Structure has women-only floors at Johar Town and DHA, and female coaches, including Halima Mahvish at Johar Town. If you would feel more at ease with a woman coach for your first visit, say so when you book.

How do you book your first visit?

Choose the club that is easiest to reach, because the gym you can get to after work is the one you will keep going to. Then book a free first visit at any club on WhatsApp or through the contact page. Bring your kit, your questions and anything your coach should know. You will leave with a starting plan, having already done the hardest part, which is walking in.