Navigating the gym as a beginner can be the most nerve-racking experience if you don’t feel confident in your environment. This is especially true if you are going alone and it’s a new gym you are attending. It is normal to feel a little nervous at first but once you become familiar with the machines and equipment the confidence you radiate in the gym will be extraordinary. So don’t let those nerves get in the way of you starting your fitness journey.
Everyone begins their fitness journey for completely different reasons and everyone has unique experiences along the way. The best part about the gym in my opinion is the community you build with everyone there. Even if you don’t directly talk to anyone at the gym, you may consistently see the same people who are there along with you to better themselves too. At the gym, you feel welcomed and motivated. Whether you want to start going to the gym to better your health, better yourself, build discipline, or for mental stability here are three tips for every beginner in the gym.
Tip #1: Become Familiar with the Gym Equipment
We have all gone to the gym and wandered around not knowing what machine to use because we are too nervous about how to properly use them. An effective way to combat this fear is to watch videos on youtube. The tremendous amount of Youtube videos on how to use gym equipment is overwhelming and a great resource for beginners at the gym. There may be certain machines you have been eyeing on your gym visits but are too nervous to try. Simply go on Youtube and type in “tutorial on how to use the leg press machine”. Youtube will be your best friend at the beginning of your gym training journey. Becoming comfortable with the equipment will help improve your confidence and therefore help you perform better.
Tip #2: Build a Small Routine to Avoid Time Being Wasted
Another contributor that leads to gym nerves is not knowing what muscle group to work on or what exercises to do. Building a small routine, in the beginning, helps to avoid pointless wandering and helps make your time at the gym efficient. Building a routine the day before or the hour before your gym session will help calm the nerves because you are aware of the equipment you will be using and the exercise you will be doing. Walking into the gym prepared and confident will allow you to have a successful workout.
Tip #3: Realize that Nobody is Focusing on You
The main reason we are all petrified of going to the gym at first is that we think the world revolves around us. Everywhere we go we may fear that people are looking at us and judging us. This fear may be heightened at the gym because you are not comfortable with the gym environment just yet. The most crucial realization you make in the gym as a beginner is realizing that nobody cares about you. Now, this might sound a little aggressive but it’s the truth. At the gym, everyone is in their own world focusing on themselves and their workout. Nobody has the desire or time to be looking at others working out when they are focusing on their own performance. This realization will help relinquish the nerves once you realize and accept it.
Let us know if you try these tips by tagging us @HerCampusSJSU!