So, you really want to work out, but working out in public gives you anxiety. And now you're wondering: how do you overcome gym shyness?
In this post, you'll learn:
And a lot more. Let's get into it.
To overcome gym shyness, try some of the following:
The more often you go, the more confident you're going to feel about it.
Just all about getting used to that environment and feeling comfortable with the people around you.
If you have a friend available, go with that friend so you have a partner that's going to help you feel more comfortable.
And obviously, you're also going to want to learn how to do it alone.
Don't rely on this 100%, but sometimes to get out there, it does help to have somebody with you.
When you walk in, don't just walk past everyone and give a nod.
Make sure you talk to the people who work there and get to know them.
Get to know them by their name and make sure they know your name too.
This is going to make you feel a lot more comfortable and less shy in the gym because it's going to start becoming your space because you're going to know everyone there.
Make eye contact with staff obviously, especially as you're getting to know them.
But also, make eye contact with other gym patrons, and this is going to make it easier to start a conversation.
If you're more focused on your routine and not about the other people around you, it's automatically going to make you less shy.
Focus on those reps and sets and not what other people are doing.
Chat with other gym patrons. You can ask them easy questions like "what are you training for?" Or even ask them about their routine.
Lots of people are very happy to talk about these things, especially if you see someone who's particularly fit. These kinds of people very often likely talk about how they got so fit.
If you walk around with a frowny face all the time, it's going to make you feel less confident.
However, if you smile when you make eye contact with people, that's going to lift you up a bit. It also presents you as being more friendly and more approachable.
Make sure you're not looking at the ground when you're walking around and that you don't have your hands in your pockets.
Your shoulders should be back to help your body language and since you're in the gym already, work on those muscles that actually keep you with good posture.
Don't be whispering every time you're talking to somebody. It doesn't mean you should be yelling either.
You want to be an obnoxious person who could be heard all the way across the room, but you want to speak with a strong voice.
If people are asking you to speak up or they're like, "oh, what did you say?" or if they're having trouble hearing you, then you're definitely speaking too quietly.
You could also emulate somebody at the gym. If you find somebody who's confident there, emulate what they do.
Chances are they're mostly focused on their workouts, but they might be smiling, they might be chatting, they probably walk around with confident body language.
Just see what they do. Monkey see, monkey do is an easy way to get a good example of how a confident person looks.
Let’s move on to some questions people ask:
FAQ’s
In order to stop gym anxiety, you need to go to the gym often.
You need to go to the gym, get comfortable in the environment by being there a lot, talking to the people around you and not acting like you're somebody who has anxiety.
If you act like the person you want to be shortly after, you will grow into that person.
Yes and no. It depends on the people. Obviously, most of the people at the gym are going to be more concerned about their own workouts and taking selfies or doing whatever.
They're not really going to care much about you, so you shouldn't worry about the judgment of the gym.
That's something that's going to be more about self consciousness. And sure, if there's somebody who does care about other people, who cares?
Because that person obviously has their focus on the wrong things.
Well, the more often you go, the better it's going to be. But also, getting a personal trainer can make you less embarrassed to work out.
If you know what you're doing, if you know how to do the exercises properly, you'll be able to do them more confidently.
Plus, you'll know that you're doing it right in front of other people, nobody's going to, you know, try to correct you or anything like that.
Getting nervous at the gym can often have a lot to do with your own personal anxieties.
Maybe it's insecurities around how you dress or how you look or even your fitness. Obviously, that's why you're at the gym, to improve your fitness.
And as your fitness improves, chances are you're going to be less insecure or less embarrassed at the gym, and that nervousness should go away.
Yes, gym anxiety does go away.
It just takes some time and it takes some repetition and practice, but over time, it's just going to be part of your regular routine.
That anxiety you have from going to the gym will disappear naturally. You don't have to do anything specifically to it. You just have to be there and go consistently.
To learn more about shyness, check out this post.
Here are the steps you need to get out of your comfort zone and overcome gym shyness:
If you have any comments or questions, leave them below.
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