Through a mixture of body image issues and an underlying desire to be "healthier," many of us find ourselves riding this roller coaster of dieting and exercise.
If you're like me, you know that you can only hold yourself accountable to your new fitness goals if you physically leave your house and go to a gym. I recently started this cycle again, and I was instantly reminded of all the lovely anxiety that comes with joining a new gym. I wanted to explore why this feels so scary, and here's some of what I came up with.
1. It's violently masculine
Some people (mostly men) find comfort in hyper-masculine places such as the gym. I am not one of those people. Seeing all these big men lifting twice my body weight, stomping around, making small talk with fellow seasoned gym-goers, I'm hard-pressed to find a public area I feel more out-of-place in. At least, one for which I'm paying money.
But the thick veil of masculinity gone wild, while daunting, can be easily bypassed. Give yourself a pep-talk before you walk in, remind yourself that just because you aren't ready for the cover of a bodybuilding magazine doesn't mean you have any less a right to be there.
Plug in your headphones, blast your bootlegged copy of "The Pinkprint," and do your thing.
2. How does anything work?
Okay, so you get the basic physics behind the treadmill and the elliptical. Now what are all these other machines? Most gyms are nice enough to have visual aides to help guide you on how to operate the equipment, but the mere thought of standing in front of a machine staring at these diagrams makes me break a sweat. I might as well wear a giant neon sign that says "newbie."
Don't fret. Use the diagrams, that's what they're there for. And if your social anxiety is really that bad (like mine), look up the name of the machine on your phone and read how to use it properly. Or ask someone who works there; they literally get paid to help you work out, so don't be shy.
3. The magic number(s)
When you start going to the gym, anything you plan on using is gonna require some number crunching. Weights, resistance levels, inclines, and so on. This takes some trial-and-error, so if you're afraid of looking stupid just bear with it.
Anyone at the gym has had to do this at some point, so any looks you get as you keep exchanging those dumbbells will be looks of understanding. Push through it, because the only way you're gonna maximize your workout is if you find your body's thresholds.
4. Post-workout euphoria
After you finish your first day at the new gym, you feel unstoppable. You've taken the first steps on a brand new journey towards some sort of physical self-discovery. You feel like Dorothy when she catches sight of the Emerald City (as if I couldn't alienate myself from the stereotypical gym guy even more).
And why shouldn't you feel this way? You had to overcome a lot of mental hurdles to reach this finish line, you should be proud of yourself.
5. Making the return
Eventually the invincible feeling wears off and you realize the next day that you are in fact going to a gym. Not exactly the most thrilling experience you could have in your day.
Maybe you're still too sore, or maybe you have something important to take care of, so you put off the gym for a day. And then two days. And then a week. And before you know it, you're right back at the beginner's part of the track. At least you're familiar with how to start back up again (more or less).
Ultimately, the weights you're lifting pale in comparison to the weight of pressure you feel surrounding your new gym. The toughest part of exercise, rather than the workout itself, may very well be conquering the aerobics your brain does before you even walk through the door. But there's a reason you keep coming back. Don't forget that.
