How to Fight Your Gymtimidation (at the gym and at home)
The New Year is coming, and with it all our resolutions for getting fit, dropping a couple of pounds, adding on some more muscle, or just staying in a solid routine. As a fitness professional, one of the biggest obstacles I see stopping people from reaching these resolutions is gymtimidation. Gymtimidation is exactly what it sounds like, being intimidated by gyms. It may not be the gym itself, it may be other people, the vastness, the equipment choices, or simply the unknown. Regardless of the gymtimidation cause, you need to know three things.
First, it is not your fault. There are marketing strategies, stigmatisms, and biases that feed into gymtimidation. If you feel intimidated by gyms, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you.
Second, you are not alone; even veteran gym-goers like myself have struggled with these thoughts. When I was dealing with gymtimidation, if I pulled into an over-crowded gym parking lot, I would often decide to seek an alternative form of exercise elsewhere.
Third, there are tools available to help you overcome gymtimidation.
With gym closures and shut-downs from COVID-19, some people may think this information is not as relevant any more. With everyone seeking different venues to exercise, gymtimidation is still relevant. I have had multiple friends, family members, and clients express the same intimidating feelings about online fitness classes, park or yard workouts, or even just switching up exercise routines. Again, these feelings are not your fault, you are not alone, and there's a wealth of information available to help you.
Here are 5 easy tools that you can use to help fight gymtimidation and achieve your health goals this New Year.
1. Do Your Homework
We spend years in school educating our brains. Your body deserves the same education. If you tried to solve a complex mathematic equation with no previous education--at the very least--it would difficult. You may not be able to solve it, or you may even arrive at an incorrect solution. So why is there an unsaid expectation that we should be able to walk into a gym and know exactly how to use all of the equipment, what settings and weights we should be using, and what progression to follow? The notion is utterly ridiculous when you think about it.
People dedicate their lives, research, money, and time to learning how our bodies should move. It does not come naturally, it is something you have to learn, so do your homework. Buy a book, read a blog, and talk to your local fitness professionals (i.e. us at Penny Project Life) to figure out what type of movement is best and healthiest for you. There is a wealth of information available at your fingertips, and it only takes one call or even just Google search.
2. Start at Home
So you feel intimidated by gyms? OK, start at home. By starting at home with little or no equipment, you are slowly progressing your body to the physical movements you will encounter in a gym. I could easily design a full-body, no equipment workout for you right now that would better prepare your body for gym equipment movements. Don't have room at home? I live and sometimes workout in a van, so that excuse does not work with me...
3. Familiarize Yourself With Equipment
Most gyms have either a virtual or in-person equipment walk through. I've been to several gyms that have an app or QR Code that links to a video that shows you how to adjust the machine properly. If you are not sure what weight you should use, ALWAYS start as light as possible and work your way up slowly to avoid injury. You'll look like a pro doing warm-up sets! You can also take note of the name of the equipment manufacturer and refer back to step one and do your research. The other option is to just ask a personal trainer at the gym. When I worked in a gym I absolutely loved working with new members and showing them how to adjust various pieces of equipment.
4. Set SMART Short-Term Goals
An exercise regimen without goals is a resolution without purpose and is much easier to discontinue. If you truly want to implement a new routine continually build (and modify) short-term SMART goals. "SMART" stand for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. So for example, if your long term goal is to workout at the gym for 30 minutes 3 times each week, start small and SMART. A simple progression could look like this:
Week 1: Spend 10 minutes once a day writing down your 4 week plan. Research online, talk to friends, and use your resources to develop short term SMART goals for yourself. Don't get too attached though, because you will have to modify (everyone does).
Week 2: Develop of 5-10 minute stretching routine at home, and do your research; call your gym and ask about their programming and equipment (this will help you figure out where you would feel most comfortable).
Week 3: Continue your stretching routine at home, and sign up for a tour of the gym with a personal trainer or manager. This will help you familiarize yourself with the gym, where certain pieces of equipment are that you would be interested in using.
Week 4: Do your stretching routine at the gym that you did at home, and afterwards walk on the treadmill for ~10 minutes. Take in your surroundings, and slowly build your comfort level.
You can see how easily and slowly this progresses and works towards the ultimate goal of fighting gymtimidation.
5. Start TODAY (not tomorrow, and don't even wait for the New Year)
If you have a goal in mind, set aside 5-10 minutes TODAY to build a plan. Don't procrastinate. You don't need to achieve your goal today, but at least build a SMART, realistic plan on how you can get there.
There you go! A roadmap to fighting gymtimidation. As always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, don't hesitate to ask!
Making Every Penny Count Fighting Gymtimidation
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