The gym can be a scary place.
A lot of people who are thinking about getting fitter and joining a gym would describe it as intimidating and full of superfit people who all know what they are doing.
Especially when stepping into the gym for the first time and feeling like you have no idea what you are doing.
I completely understand this. Whilst I have now been training in gyms for 20 years, I still remember feeling nervous walking into new gyms when I was younger.
Over the years we have also worked with many different members who feel the same about gyms.
This is why our main goal at JW Fitness is to create a friendly and welcoming environment for our members.
So if you feel intimidated or uncomfortable at the thought of a commercial gym, it would be worth putting some time into a private gym first so that you can learn in a friendly and non-judgemental environment, building your confidence to join a commercial gym.
The main thing to do is just make a start in the gym and be consistent for long enough you will soon come to realise that:
- It is not as scary as you first thought
- Nobody cares what you are doing, it is not all eyes on you (they are there for the same as you, to get the work done and get home)
- 99% of gym goers will be happy to help if you were to ask. I wish I could say this was 100% but there are always the few that can let the side down
Think of any environment you went into for the first time. School, work, a party etc. They may have felt intimidating too.
You don’t know anyone and it is out of your comfort zone.
After a while though you no longer feel uncomfortable.
You make friends.
You understand your place.
You forget you were ever intimidated to start.
So if joining a private personal training gym isn’t right for you right now but you want to start in a commercial gym and build your confidence I would recommend going to the gym a minimum of 3 times per week and do whatever it is you feel comfortable doing in the gym to start.
Don’t just do once per week, it is not enough frequency to feel comfortable in the gym.
Don’t worry at this stage what it is you are going to do once in the gym, just get in.
Stick to what you like, what you enjoy and most importantly what you feel comfortable doing initially.
For example:
Walking on the treadmill
Do I think this is the best use of an hour in the gym for someone looking to improve their fitness or their body composition?
Possibly not but it certainly has its benefits for the beginner such as:
- It is easy to perform. You have been walking all your life and therefore won’t feel silly doing this
- The treadmill is easy to use which leaves less chance of you feeling silly when setting it up, you simply hop on and press go
- If you normally spend that hour watching soaps, drinking a brew and eating some biscuits then it is much more productive and better for your long-term health
- In a few weeks time when your confidence has improved at the gym you can start to branch out to other machines/exercises.
To sum up
The gym is not as scary as what you are probably telling yourself in your head.
It is not full of superfit people who all know what they are doing and who will all be looking at and judging you.
It is full of people who were just like you when they started.
A lot of them will have gone through the same thoughts and feelings as you are right now.
The people who just kept turning up and now the gym is just a part of their lifestyle.
So if you have been thinking about joining a gym
Or
You are a member but haven’t been for a while due to feeling intimidated below are some ideas to help you move forward:
Ensure you have a full induction when joining a gym, ensure you make the most of it and ask as many questions as you can. You won’t remember everything you are taught or shown on this induction but don’t worry.
Take in what you can, come in the next day and give it a go. Consistent repetition will help you learn and build competence and therefore confidence. Anything you are unsure of just find a member of staff and they will be happy to help you.
Ask for help. If you get stuck don’t worry, just find the nearest gym instructor and ask for help. It is what they are there for. Ensure you keep asking until you are fully comfortable on your own. Fitness instructors can’t take you through your entire workout but will help you with setting up machines, with technique and advice etc.
Hire a personal trainer or join a personal training gym. If knowing what to do and how to perform exercises is important to you, consider hiring a personal trainer to teach you and give you the 1-2-1 or small group attention that will ensure you learn and become more competent faster.
Just turn up and do what you want for the first few weeks/month. At this point don’t start worrying about what the best exercise or workout is to perform. Just keep turning up, doing what you want, building your competence and therefore your confidence.
Too many times people try to jump into more advanced routines that make them feel more uncomfortable as they don’t feel they can do it which could lead to them quitting.
Remember your first big step is to get in the gym.
Don’t worry about what is next until getting in the gym is a habit.
The amount of our members who end up being able to do things that they never thought they would be able to do is huge.
Had we tried at the beginning I would have scared them off and they would have never returned. Training is a process not a race and with every new habit and every new achievement comes more competence, confidence and opportunities to progress further.
If you have any questions on any of the above or if you feel this has helped you in some way feel free to give it a like and a share on Social media
Interested in knowing more about training at JW Fitness? Just fill out the following form and we will get back to you to book your consultation.
Want to check out some more reviews?
If so you can go to the website reviews here:
Facebook reviews here:
Google reviews here:
Comentarios