If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "It's too scary," I'd never have to pay for my gym membership ever again. It's a common barrier so many people seem to have placed in between them and going to the gym. "Gymtimidation" is what we call it, and it occurs in both men and women. However, the gym isn't something you should find scary, and hopefully this article will help you get rid of this fear. These are common reasons that people have fallen victim to Gymtimidation, and how you can resolve them.
Never been to a gym before.
There is a first time for everything, and sure it may be a big leap at first. However, if we all stopped for this reason alone, there would be nobody at the gym, and frankly, no reason for gyms to even exist. If you are concerned with going by yourself, grab a buddy! Start talking to some people that you know who work out! Have them go with you! If you don't have this option, a nice pair of headphones always does the trick. Once you break that "first-time-barrier" then it is much easier after that.
Don't know what to do.
You walk into the gym, what do you see? One room you've got rows of treadmills, bikes, cardio machines galore. The next room you see a long rack full of dumbbells, some barbells, benches everywhere, some squat racks, and some different kinds of machines you may have never seen before. Some gyms have even more, the one I go to has several dance rooms and a basketball court. All these options may leave you wondering "what am I supposed to do?" The internet and social media can play a very important part in this dilemma. Perhaps you look up to a certain movie star or some kind of role model that has gotten fit. One thing you can do is look up what they do, maybe copy their routines. Look up Youtube videos for tutorials. Get yourself educated before you go in. Even if you aren't quite sure when you're there you can find trainers there that would be happy to help out. As long as you don't curl in the squat rack, you'll be fine.
Don't consider yourself fit.
Everyone starts at some point. Maybe you don't think you're very fast, strong, or maybe your a little out of shape. That is sort of the whole point of the gym existing. You walk in and you see all of these marathon runners, bodybuilders, powerlifters, or cross fitters. They all started somewhere. You don't automatically gain these abilities at birth. Athletes spend so much time training to reach their physical potential. The good thing about results though is they start showing really quickly for beginners.
Afraid of judgment.
Maybe you might not be benching as much as the guy next to you. You start wondering, "is he judging me?" This question can be answered rather simply. Most times the answer is "No." Look at everyone's ears. Chances are they all have headphones in, unless they are with a buddy. What I mean by this is, most people like to get in, get done, and get out. Nothing else really matters. If this is you, it may also help again to find a nice gym partner to help raise your confidence and keep you focused.
Moral of the story:
If you find yourself afraid of the gym, there are many ways to help out with this. Get yourself educated, get a nice pair of headphones, maybe a gym partner, and just take the chance.
Once you get yourself established, and stick with it, it will become a normal part of your day. Then, you won't think twice about it.
Break free from Gymtimidation!
