It’s easy to feel out of place at the gym since everyone looks like they really have their lives together. It’s normal to feel like every move you make is being judged and observed by dozens of other people at the gym which makes us hyper aware of our actions. Being too aware of our actions can sometimes cause us to make even more mistakes. The most important thing to remember when it comes to embarrassing moments that take place in the gym is that they happen to everyone.
1. Forgetting a hair-tie
This is more inconvenient than embarrassing. Not having a hair-tie destroys your entire workout and you basically just have to either give up or pray that someone near you will be nice enough to lend you one. Having your hair down during a workout is most importantly a hazard, but it’s also pretty embarrassing when your hair sticks to your back sweat.
2. Using a new machine and failing
No matter how detailed those diagrams are that illustrate how to use a machine, some machines are just too complicated to fully figure out on your own. It’s all about trial and error and you should feel accomplished for attempting to try something new.
3. Using a machine you’ve used dozens of times and failing
Sometimes our heads just aren’t in it when we start a workout and we make dumb mistakes. We all do it and we can all bounce back from it.
4. Blasting your music too loud while listening to something embarrassing
The music we listen to during a workout is vital and sets the pace and intensity of a workout. Let’s be honest, we all turn our music up way too loud when working out to really get the adrenaline going and sometimes that song is embarrassing. If there’s one thing we can all agree on however, it’s that having Waka-Flocka yell in your ear sets you up for a good workout.
5. Heavy breathing/singing the song in your headphones and realizing everyone can hear you
Sometimes we get caught up in whatever song we’re listening to and we can’t help but try to sing along. The problem is that lip syncing and heavy breathing add up to a much louder, pathetic karaoke session that anyone within close proximity of you can hear.
6. When your phone falls while you’re on a machine and your headphones don’t save it
This very frightening moment happens in more places than just the gym but being on top of a high machine adds to the risk level of actual damage being done. It’s loud and it catches people’s attention and then you have to feel the shame of being a terrible parent to your phone.
7. Having the urge to fart during a squat set
This is also incredibly inconvenient. This makes you self-conscious during your sets because you’re afraid that as you lift up you might accidentally let one slip. You have to clench your butt cheeks the entire time (you should clench anyways as you come up to increase glute activation), but now if anyone happens to take a peek at your bottom they can also tell that something very stressful is going on within your body.
8. Actually farting during a squat set
See number six and add approximately 20 percent more embarrassment.
9. Missing a step on the stair stepper
The stair stepper might be the most daunting and difficult machine at the gym and if you haven’t missed a step on it then you haven’t experienced true fear. The best case scenario is that missing a step just means that it makes a loud noise, makes your body jolt and throws off your pace for a few seconds. Everyone around you will be able to tell what happens, but at least you made it out without any bruises. The worst case scenario is that you fall completely down and end up with at least a few nasty bruises. Hold on to the sides to avoid this.
10. Trying several times to open a locker that you then realize isn’t even yours
Sometimes lockers require more energy and effort than the workout itself. Finding a locker that works is the hardest gym task there is but remembering what locker you finally settled on is even harder. Most of us are keen to pulling our flashlights out on our phones and looking through the tiny holes to see if we can recognize any of our stuff. The worst thing about this is asking a gym attendant to help you open “your” locker and then realizing after all of that that it wasn’t even your locker in the first place.