How to overcome your ‘gymtimidation’
Fitness centres can be intimidating for newbies, but Jenny Meggs offers six ways to make you more comfortable
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Whether you’re new to the gym or returning after a long break, it can be an intimidating place. There’s even a term to describe the feeling of nervousness or anxiety that many people feel when they think about going: “gymtimidation”.
One survey found as many as half of Americans experienced “gymtimidation”, while a UK survey found one in four women reported feeling it.
There are several reasons why people might have some fear of going to the gym – including a fear of being judged by other people, believing they might not be able to do certain exercises properly, and being insecure about how they compare with other gym-goers.
But at its core, one of the biggest reasons people may experience “gymtimidation” is because many see the gym as an unfamiliar or intimidating place. This is largely because they may feel uncertain about what they may encounter there or because they might not know what they’re doing there.
But just because you’re facing a new situation doesn’t mean there aren’t a few simple things you can do to get over your intimidation.
Removing uncertainty
People tend to like predictability, so much so that uncertainty is linked with emotions such as fear and anxiety. But if we can learn to minimise feelings of uncertainty, and push ourselves to encounter uncertain environments more often, we become better able to deal with them.
Another reason people may feel nervous about heading to the gym for the first time is that they have low self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is our belief in our own skills and abilities, and whether we think we have the power to succeed in a particular situation. It plays a big role in almost everything we do as it’s key to human motivation.
Attend in off-peak periods at first. This may help you to develop your confidence and familiarity with the gym, and you may feel less nervous
When we don’t think we’ll be able to do something, it makes us less likely to want to try. This may explain why many people feel intimidated about going to the gym.
But there are many ways you can work around these feelings, even before your first visit:
- Keep your workout simple to begin with and plan exercises that you can master quickly and will enjoy. It may also be worth including some alternative moves or exercises you can swap in if the gym is busy or a machine is in use.
- Look up the gym and equipment to familiarise yourself with the layout and the kind of equipment you might encounter. Find sources or videos online that show you how the equipment works. Booking a one-to-one with a staff member or a personal trainer on your first day may also help.
- Find a training routine online or speak to a personal trainer to plan your workouts. Not only will this help you know what machines or area of the gym you’ll need, but it may also give you a chance to practise your moves beforehand.
- Consider attending a beginners’ group exercise class. Being surrounded by other people who are in a similar place to you may help you feel more confident and less anxious – and it may even be beneficial for your mental health.
- Attend in off-peak periods at first. This will help you to develop your confidence and familiarity with the gym, and you may feel less nervous if there are fewer people around.
- Expect and accept anxiety and some nerves. It’s a perfectly normal part of the process of trying something new, and everyone feels it – even people who have been attending for a long time. One way to manage nerves is by practising mindfulness, a form of meditation that involves focusing on being present in the moment and your feelings. This may help you to move past any anxiety you’re having.
Being prepared before heading to the gym may leave with a sense of accomplishment and success. In the end, this feeling will help you associate positive – rather than negative – feelings with the gym so you are more likely to stick with your commitment of going there.
Jenny Meggs is a lecturer in sports psychology at Lancaster University. This article first appeared on The Conversation.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments