“Confidence is key,” they say (honestly, not even sure who “they” is). But how do we gain confidence? Have confident people always been confident or is it something that grows overtime?

For me, I don’t think it was something I was naturally born with, much to my mother’s disagreement. I can actually pin point the exact time in my life when I started gaining confidence.

Believe it or not, I used to be someone who HATED exercise. I was so lazy that I would complain about having to walk down the street for my summer job. Looking back now, it’s safe to say I’m pretty embarrassed about that.  But once I hit high school, laziness was not an option. Sports were required at my school, so for four years I dragged myself out to the field hockey and lacrosse fields everyday after school.

Was I good? Certainly not the best. Did I play varsity? Not even close. But four years of mandatory physical activity has a way of engraining itself into your life so that it becomes a habit. This habit stuck with me through college into today and even turned me into such an avid fitness lover that I became a personal trainer, and I even found some places that offer Leasing Commercial Gym Equipment which is great for personal training. When I think about how I’ve changed over the past years, I’ve come to realize that all the changes, both mental and physical, started occurring once exercise became a part of my daily routine. The best change? Killer confidence.

I didn’t start working out and then suddenly get really confident overnight. It’s a slow, gradual change, but here are my theories behind it.

Know your body, know yourself

Working out forces you to listen to your body. Whether it’s an injury, soreness, stretching the right way, or deciding what workout is best on a certain day, the feedback you get from your body means something. Right now, I’m more in tune with what my body has to say than ever before.

Knowing your body on such a physical level directly translates to knowing your mind. I increasingly find that tough decisions are easier to make and I’m more able to sense and follow my gut reaction.

Awareness, both physical and mental, is such an important thing to have in this crazy world. For me, exercise helps slow down the craziness and block out the noise, much as meditation does for other people. It creates a mind and body connection that enhances your ability to listen, accept, and follow signals that your body and mind give you without questioning them.

Saying yes and saying no

When you’re in tune with your body and even more in tune with your mind, you’re able to say yes or no more confidently. This connection allows you to sense what decisions will enhance your life or influence it in a negative way.

After taking a lot of workout classes, I realized that this ability developed even further. In a group exercise class, you have to make split second decisions. Does this exercise hurt my body? How can I modify it? Is this weight too heavy or just the right amount? These quick decisions translate back into my life outside of exercise and I no longer spend time questioning the unimportant things. I focus on right here, right now, and am able to make a decision more efficiently.

Face down your fears

Perhaps the thing that gave me the most confidence in my entire fitness career was, and still continues to be, learning how to face down my fears.

At the end of high school and beginning of college, I started doing workout classes. When you’re a newcomer, those can be nerve-wracking. You’re unfamiliar with the teacher, the students, how they teach, and probably most of the moves they’re doing in class. But you push through. You come back or you try another class. Eventually, it’ll feel like second nature. Then, you’ll try more classes, maybe at new studios, and with each class you become more confident in yourself and your ability to work hard in the class.

After workout classes, it was the weight room. A weight room can be one of the most intimidating places on earth. Big, ripped men who seem to know exactly what they’re doing dominate the space and it can be intimidating for a beginner/intermediate exerciser to step into that place.

Before I went, I prepared. I researched routines, I taught myself the moves, and I wrote it down. When I finally mustered up the courage and started lifting, surrounded by all these strong people, I realized something. Most of the people in the weight room could care less what you’re doing. They’re focused on themselves. If you need help, someone is always willing to help. Also, headphones are a miracle. They allow you to create your own space, separate from the people around you.

Did I make a fool out of myself sometimes? Of course. I’m not perfect. But I became my own teacher, embraced the discomfort, and did the best I could. Now, I love strength training and would prefer to spend most of my time in the weight room. After this whole experience, I realized that I no longer get nervous when walking into a room full of strangers. I’m willing to try new things without being too intimidated. The least I can do is try. And if I make a fool out of myself, at least I learned something.

When you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you get results, and not just physically. In the past 10 years I’ve gained way more than physical strength. Embracing discomfort grew my confidence and made me realize exactly what serves me and what doesn’t. Because I became more confident, I became more positive, more level-headed, and more aware.

Now it’s your time. It’s your time to make a change, to push yourself. It’s your time to get more confident and see just how much better life can get.