For some reading this, the idea of being intimidated by the idea of going to the gym will seem very odd. After all, if you have nailed your fitness routine, you begin to feel as comfortable in the middle of a workout as you do on your own sofa – well, mentally, at least!
For others, the gym will always be a place of intimidation. This is especially true if you are in the early days of weight loss, when you can feel like your body stands out for all of the wrong reasons. It’s easy to imagine that everyone is looking at you, wondering what you’re doing there. You can’t possibly belong! You’re not muscular and you don’t know what half the machines do… it’s a real Mean Girls-esque moment, where you feel everyone is muttering that you simply don’t belong.
Of course, this is all a psychological trick, because no one is actually thinking ANY of that. Here’s why.
Everyone Is Focusing On Themselves
We all have a tendency to think to think we are the center of the universe, even if we don’t mean to. After all, we’re the center of our own universe, so it makes sense that we matter to ourselves. The thing is… everyone else is the center of their own universe, too. Most people at the gym are far busier dealing with their own workout, managing their own lives, than to glance over at you and think derisory comments. They’re just as likely to imagine that you are thinking intensely about them and their insecurities.
So if it feels like all eyes are on you, then it’s just a feeling.
You Have A Right To Be There
If you don’t feel confident setting foot in a gym as you’re not yet a buff, physical specimen, then try and remember that’s what you’re going there to do. Everyone has to begin somewhere; even the perfect bodies you now see around you, they all had a starting point that they have improved on.
In fact, even if these people would judge you in the street, they’re less likely to do so in the gym – because they have direct evidence that you’re trying to do something about it. If you have gained weight, then your confidence can take a real knock, but don’t let this be a barrier to the weight loss you want. Anyone who is willing to pay, to head to Club Fitness for a workout or break a sweat doing endless abdominal crunches, has as much right to be there as anyone else.
Even If They Do Think Something Unpleasant, It’s Just A Thought
The simple reality is that even if the first two points aren’t enough to make you feel more comfortable, it still doesn’t really matter. You can’t control the way other people think of you, nor can you tell them what to think. People are going to have their own ideas about you. These ideas might be wrong, but so long as they stay in the realm of ideas, then they shouldn’t concern you. This isn’t even a case of letting people think what they want, because you don’t have any say in it at all. So why should you let something over which you have no control drain your motivation and exert an influence on you?
The moral of the story is that most of your insecurities are just that. Hang-ups you’ve created in your own head, and the only way to get past them is to start showing up, doing your best and making progress you feel proud about!
