A couple of years ago, I felt the same way as you. When I first started going to the gym, I constantly felt self-conscious and out of place being alongside people who were more athletic, fit and frankly, more knowledgeable than I was about they were doing. I felt as if I didn't belong. "What am I even doing here?" I often thought to myself. What became of my intentions of going to the gym with to build some muscle, resulted in me spending most of my time just running on the treadmill or using the elliptical, in the safe spots. I wouldn't even go near the weights section in response to feeling intimidated by the people surrounding me.
When I look around at others in the gym, I thought in comparison I wasn’t doing enough or was as worthy to be there as others were.
“I must be doing something wrong.”
“I wish I looked as pretty and cool as she does even while working out.”
“Can he stop staring at me? Sorry I’m not attractive.”
“It probably looks like I’m trying too hard.”
The gym was already intimidating and fearing people judging me, definitely didn’t help matters at all. Many times I even nervously worried about people thinking things like, “She’s not even overweight. She looks skinny. She doesn’t need to be here, why is she trying to work out?”
Seriously? Why do we do this to ourselves?
Still, being the weird person that I am, I found myself returning to the gym frequently. During the school semester, I’d often swing by our gym on campus when I was done with classes, and then sometimes on the weekend I’d go to our local gym with my dad whenever he went. It was so bizarre. I honestly thought I was the weirdest and dumbest girl ever. Why would I go and stick around at a place where I feel embarrassed and discouraged all the time?
It was soon enough that it just clicked in my head when I realized this was FOR ME. I was doing this all for me. I was going to the gym and doing it for my health and to better myself. So regardless of people judging me or whatever, I wanted it to be a lifelong habit to go to the gym and better my health and fitness.
YOU have to do it for you. If it was for anybody else, you wouldn’t achieve YOUR goals and accomplish what YOU wanted to set out to do. If I had let the fear of others judging me and also actually let judgmental people get the best of me, I wouldn’t even be thinking about the gym today. I’d probably slouch away like a potato forever while envying others and continue to let the voices in my head tell me worse.
Saying that you don't belong at the gym is ridiculous. Don’t let anyone discourage you from getting to where you want to be and doing your thang.
