Gym Intimidation
When I first started at a gym in 2015, I was terrified to walk in. Absolutely and completely terrified. I would have moments where I panicked at the thought of even going to the gym and talked myself out of the entire experience before even walking out the door of my house. There were other moments when I knew that an acquaintance would be there, and I would rearrange my entire schedule just to be there when they would so I would have some sort of familiarity at the gym to give me comfort.
And I know that I am not alone in this. Many of us are scared and nervous to walk into places we’ve never been. When we add the complexity of different structures of gyms or studios, their layouts, formats, and schedules, the anxiety could quite possibly build up very easily. Even more so if the person who is looking to attend, is not somebody who enjoys being around a lot of people.
A lot of what you will read below is within some of the additional resources, but it also comes from two different personal experiences; one has the gym goer and two as the personal trainer working at the gym that people who felt intimidated would be paired with in order to help them feel more at ease.
Gym Intimidation
Gym Intimidation is a subjective experience, varying for each person that could include anxiety, discouragement, and demotivation. Factors contributing to this include the size of the gym, concerns about equipment usage and coordination, and personal insecurities related to body image and confidence. Some other issues that have been mentioned previously are the gym’s bright lights, loud music, and the fear of being judged or feeling out of place. Research indicates that individuals facing weight-related stigma at the gym encounter challenges in coping behaviors and emotional well-being.
Gym Intimidation can prevent achieving health goals, leading individuals to cut sessions short, skip them entirely, or let their memberships lapse. It’s essential to recognize that nobody is born with comprehensive gym knowledge, and embracing the role of a beginner is perfectly acceptable.
Strategies for Overcoming Gym Intimidation
First, I challenge you to ask yourself a few questions before heading to the gym to try to get clear on where you may have some valid personal concerns.
- How would I describe my concern about the gym to a close friend?
- What are my top three concerns in the gym environment?
- What would enhance my sense of belonging and confidence in a gym?
- Do I have these same feelings about going anywhere else new previously? If so, did those feelings pass?
Answering these questions through journaling or discussions helps uncover root causes and outlines a roadmap to overcome gym-based anxiety. There are many times, when we may feel as though we are nervous about stepping out into something new for a fear of failure, a fear of the unknown, or a fear of not being accepted.
Choose the gym for you.
I cannot stress how important this is. If you feel more comfortable in smaller settings, find a smaller gym. If you would rather be in structured fitness classes, go to a gym with a schedule that works with your schedule. If you are unsure what to do, find a virtual trainer who can create a training program for you and help guide you. And please know that at any given time you can change your mind with this as well.
Tips to Help with Gym Intimidation:
- Tour the gym environment: Ask for a facility tour. Many gyms offer free tours or complimentary sessions with trainers to help familiarize people with the gym, areas, and machines.
- Bring a friend: Invite someone for social support and accountability. Gyms may even offer free visitor passes if your friend does not want to commit to the gym fully.
- Explore group classes: Check out the schedule. This can be an easy way to acclimate to the gym setting. With the classes, you can also speak with the instructor beforehand to let them know that you may need some assistance.
- Avoid peak times: Reduce crowd anxiety by choosing off-peak hours. If you are unsure, when these hours would be, ask the front desk.
Prepare for Comfort:
- Dress comfortably: Boost confidence with suitable attire. This is something that I highly recommend to anyone and everyone. Dress for your body. You are the only one who sees the size tags. You are the only one who knows the details about that piece of clothing. Dress for your body and for your comfort.
- Create a motivating playlist: a playlist and some headphones can change a lot about your gym experience. You can even look to bring an electronic device that you can play a podcast, a book, or even stream a video while you are using some cardio equipment.
- Practice mindfulness: Stay present and tune into your body. When you are at the gym, be at the gym. I know that this one may be hard. Other things are going on in your life. This is a place that you possibly feel uncomfortable. But you are here for a purpose. Don’t short-change yourself by not being present for this moment of self-care.
- Give yourself grace: Acknowledge that nerves are normal. You do not have to stay for an entire workout if you are not feeling comfortable. Work yourself up. There are many people that I have worked with who started with cardio equipment only because they weren’t quite comfortable with the different areas of the gym yet. The cardio equipment allowed them to look around and acclimate to their surroundings. You can even incorporate this with every workout by using the cardio equipment as your warm-up.
- Recognize progress takes time: There’s a learning curve. I’m sure you’ve probably seen one of those memes where people talk about doing one leg day and wondering where their perfectly shaped glutes are. Progress takes time. Everything takes time. Time and energy are the only commodities that we actually have at our disposal and everything requires them.
- Avoid comparison: Everyone’s journey is unique. Someone else’s journey may take less time or less energy than yours. But have a caution here. You do not know all of the different things that they are doing when you are not around.
- Remember others are focused on their workouts: Not judging you. I promise you more people in the gym feel like you and are looking your way because they are afraid that you are judging them.
Prepare to Build Confidence:
- Focus on reasons for exercising: Set SMART goals.
- Celebrate small wins: Keep a log of accomplishments. I keep a journal of my personal wins and also a digital “hype file” like what was mentioned in Marie Forleo’s book, Everything is Figureoutable. In my hype file are my favorite pictures of myself with the changes that I have seen over the course of time as well as other kind things that I want to be able to reference.
- Challenge negative thoughts: Reframe them positively. The hype file also helps a great deal with this reframing as well.
- Follow fitness influencers: Get motivation and inspiration on social media. This is part of what we consume and influence us. If you see other people that are like you going to the gym, you may feel more motivated.
- Ask for assistance: Don’t hesitate to seek guidance from gym staff or trainers. I promise you that the staff do not mind assisting. There were many times when I helped different people try to figure out how to adjust machines so that they could safely use them.
- Focus on goals: Concentrate on positive post-workout feelings. Each and every workout is building you towards the goals that you have. Each workout counts. They build on top of each other. If we do the processes that will eventually get us to a destination, it is only a matter of time.
Takeaway
Many people experience gym intimidation. It can be something that has a lot of anxiety, frustration, guilt, and judgment wrapped into it. Remember that you can go slow. You can take your time. All that’s ever required of you to get closer to your desired outcome and goals… Action. Little baby steps or big giant leaps… That’s it. Do what you need to to help you make your way through these feelings. There’s no telling how far this experience can get you until you allow yourself into it.
Lots of love!
Coach Nik
