Up until about a year ago, going to the gym was a genuine nightmare. Every time I got the motivation to go, a million anxious thoughts would pop into my head. What if there are only hardcore gym-goers there? What if they all know you don’t go to the gym? What will you do if you don’t know how to use a machine or don’t know what to do next? What if they all have cute gym fits while I am just in a t-shirt and shorts? I would swim in all of these thoughts until I decided that I would just try again the next day, but the next day I would repeat the same cycle over again.
After a little while, I realized that the only way I would consistently go to the gym was when I went with friends, which helped me understand why I struggled so much with getting there. When I went to the gym with my friends, it felt like it was taking the spotlight off me. In my mind, going with friends meant that I was not being directly perceived anymore by the people around me. This helped me realize several more truths about the gym that seem obvious but can feel incredibly daunting if you struggle with anxiety like I do, or are just not an avid gym-goer. If your thoughts are holding you back, here are some truths about the gym to metaphorically kick your brain in the butt into going.
Nobody is looking at you
At least nobody is looking at you because they think you don’t go to the gym. Almost everyone at the gym is there because they want to work on themselves so that is who they are focusing on. Do you focus on other people at the gym and try to use your gym senses to sniff the newbies out? No, because that would be weird and creepy, and that is what most other people would say as well. If someone is looking at you, that is their problem, and it is probably because they are jealous that you are slaying the game, so live your gym life like nobody is watching, because they aren’t!
There is no perfect Gym-Goer
I know I know, there is always that one guy there who seems to know the machine like the back of his hand, or a girl who looks like she came straight out of an influencer post but trust me, there is no such thing as the “perfect gym-goer.” Everyone has days where they falter and don’t do their best workout, have to quit early or just don’t go at all. No one in the gym is super-human, and every single person there has had a moment where they have felt like they failed or looked at someone else and thought that they were failing in comparison. Let this be a reassurance to you that we have all been there, and the only thing that has kept them there is that they have chosen to keep going!
There is no “right” way to work out
When you let go of the idea that workouts are one-size-fits-all, you realize that all movement is good movement when it comes to the gym. There is no singular plan or amount of time that is going to be perfect for every person at the gym, and the “right” way to exercise is whatever makes you feel good! If you go into the gym thinking that you have to force yourself to work in a certain way, you are setting yourself up for stress, misery, and failure. No one is judging how you are working out or for how long, so embrace whatever workout feels good for you!
You don’t have to push yourself to your limit every day
If you are not used to working out and then throw yourself into working out as hard as you can, you are going to be sore and feel miserable and not go back the next day. Not every gym session has to be a PR or an hour and a half long, and there is no point in starting with going to the gym seven days a week if that is not attainable. Both long workouts and working out every day are incredibly daunting, and you are likely to psych yourself into just not going at all if you start too big. Start with a small attainable goal, like 20 minutes for three days a week, and work your way up as you get more comfortable. The exposure and consistency will help you build confidence and, maybe eventually, you can work your way up to gym-rat status.
All of these truths have one common theme: don’t overthink it. The biggest hurdle between you and the gym is your thoughts, and you are in control of your thoughts. If nerves are getting in the way of you and the gym, remember these truths and go bravely into uncharted territory, knowing that you are going to kill it just by being there!