Dealing with Gym Intimidation

Going to the gym can be an intimidating experience, especially for those who are overweight or out of shape or at least imagine themselves to be. You assume that the girl on the treadmill next to you with the perfect abs is secretly amused by the fact that you're red in the face and sweating profusely and you haven't even worked your way up to a jog yet. You also assume that the sculpted man-candy that keeps glancing over at you from the other side of the room is admiring Miss Perfect Abs and finds you absolutely appalling.

The truth is, Miss Perfect Abs is probably too busy concentrating on her own workout to even notice you. After all, she didn't sculpt those fabulous abs by watching other people work out. And for all you know, she may be obsessing about whether or not her ass is jiggling in her spandex.

And Mr. Muscle Man is most likely glancing at the TV that just happens to be positioned near the treadmills or trying to make eye contact with the stud on the stationary bike.

That's the thing about gym intimidation. It's all in your head. And the more you obsess about what other gym members are thinking about you, the more outrageous scenarios you will come up with. Using your fear of the gym as an excuse not to work out is only hurting you. While you can get a good workout at home or outdoors, the gym is a great place if you are interested in improving your health, losing weight or building muscle.

You need to break those negative thought patterns and quiet that voice in your head that says you're not good enough. Not only will this help to cure your gym intimidation, but it will also boost your self-esteem in other areas of your life.

Try to focus on the health benefits of going to the gym and think of the improvement in your appearance as a bonus. You should feel proud of yourself when you leave the gym for doing something good for your body. Focusing on your health rather than your appearance will help you to stop worrying about whether other gym-goers are judging you.

Setting short-term goals for yourself is also a good idea as it will give you something to focus on. And when you reach your goals you will have a great sense of accomplishment and be more motivated to keep up the hard work. Rather than comparing yourself to other gym members who are more in shape or trimmer than you, think of them as motivation to help you stay on track.

Finally, just getting there is half the battle. Once you've been to a particular gym a few times, you'll start to become more comfortable with yourself and your surroundings. You will start to realize that the gym isn't as intimidating as you thought it would be. And once you begin to get in shape and see positive changes in your body, you will laugh at the fact that you were once intimidated by the place that now feels like your home away from home.