The gym can be a daunting and intimidating place, especially if you have never been before. Although you do not need the gym to stay fit and healthy, a lot of gyms are beneficial to your fitness levels as they often have a range of different equipment that you may not be able to have at home. It is why I often recommend going to the gym because it allow you to progress more, especially in terms of muscle growth. Not only that, but you will be in a place with experts. This means you can go to classes, or hire a PT to learn and progress in your journey. It can also build your confidence. However, saying all of this, I know it can still be a scary place. As someone who has anxiety, I know how intimidating the gym can be for newcomers. I still get a bit nervous going to a gym I have never been to before, despite being a Personal Trainer. Here are ways to feel more confident in the gym.
Photo by Johnny Garcia: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-doing-exercise-2011384/
Firstly
Get a gym induction. If you are new to exercising or maybe you are joining a new gym, a gym induction will allow you to feel a bit more confident. This is different than just a tour around the gym to know where everything is. A gym induction usually includes an instructor showing you how to use certain machines. This means you can ask as many questions as you like. If you have a certain goal (increase strength, lose weight etc.) you can also ask what exercises may be best for this. Of course they may not provide you with a whole routine, but they should provide some tips to make you feel a bit more confident.
Secondly
Join classes. This is more aimed at people who are new to the gym entirely. Classes will help push you to the best of your ability. During the classes there will be people from a range of different levels. The instructor will show you what exercises to do and how to do the exercises correctly. This means you have someone holding you accountable for your exercising and will make you feel more confident in yourself and ability. Furthermore, from my experience as a gym instructor, the more classes you attend, the more comfortable you will get with the instructor and other members. This may make you feel confident when being in the gym in general and asking for help.
Thirdly
Wear something you like and listen to something you enjoy.
Let’s start with the clothes. Wear something you feel comfortable in, whether this is a bright colour, dark colour, shorts, leggings, joggers, baggy tops or tight, it does not matter. As long as you feel comfortable, you will hopefully feel confident in yourself. If you want to dress a bit cute, then do it. If you’d rather hide yourself and wear a hoodie, do it.
Now ‘listening to something you enjoy’. Usually I would say listen to some hype music that makes you feel good, and you can do this. However, recently, I have also been listening to podcasts. These podcasts allow me to concentrate on what the speaker is saying during my rest periods. By doing this, I am not thinking about the people around me. This helps me to not think about other people’s opinions and makes me feel more confident and comfortable at the gym.
Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it is motivating you to continue working out.
Photo by Scott Webb: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-pushing-barbel-using-2her-feet-136404/
Photo by Scott Webb: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-pushing-barbel-using-her-feet-136404/
Fourthly
DO NOT OVERTHINK. I think this is the most important thing. If you are scared about going to the gym, it is probably because you are having multiple thoughts about not knowing what to expect, or being scared about using a machine wrong. I am here to tell you that no one really cares about other people in the gym. If you find yourself not knowing how to do an exercise or use a machine, just ask a member of staff. They are there to help, not judge. You can always find a small corner in the gym to workout to begin with. All you need to do is the turn up and try and overtime, you will feel more comfortable in the new environment.
Remember, everyone has to start somewhere on their fitness journey and everyone has been through the same thing 🙂
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