Moving your body and exercising is something that is incredibly hard for most individuals to consistently participate in and stick with long term. This is due to a variety of reasons, including time, costs associated with going to the gym, not enjoying the exercise, and plenty of other reasons. In addition to this, there are also numerous self confidence issues that individuals run into when considering working out in a gym or fitness center. “Everyone will be looking at me.” “They probably all think I am fat.” These thoughts plague many beginners that start their journey in the gym, paralyzing them from making any long term progress for themselves. Unfortunately, individuals with any type of disability, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional, may deal with this insecurity even more so. Not only are you a beginner to navigating the gym, but you might also have a disability that separates you from what society might consider “normal.” With a few subtle reminders, and reassurance about our capabilities and priorities, working out in a public gym can hopefully be less intimidating than it is for you, currently.
One of the first things to address when talking about intimidation in the gym, is to think about the other members that are there. This is largely where a lot of the insecurity may come from. You may look around and see others with huge muscles, slim bodies, and confidence that you may never think you can achieve. The thing about these individuals is that they started out just like you. They started out as a beginner, not knowing anything about working out and the gym. Just like a self made millionaire starts out with only a couple dollars, these individuals started out with just the gym membership itself. The way that they did this is through consistency in their health promoting lifestyle, and lack of comparison to others. If those individuals always looked at how others were achieving and then placed judgment on themselves, they would have quit a long time ago. The same can be true for you. No matter what your current physical or mental capabilities are, there is simply no need to compare who you are to other individuals. You were not born with the same life they currently hold, so comparison is useless. Remember that the individuals in the gym are there for their own personal reasons. If someone is working out in the gym and judges, stigmatizes, or makes fun of you, they have a large amount of insecurity that they are currently dealing with. These individuals are not someone who you want to have in your life anyway. Instead, try to foster the relationships of individuals who try to know you at the gym. Meeting the owner, front desk associates, and even some of the members who are willing to talk will build a sense of community for yourself, and decrease the intimidation.
Another aspect of intimidation is the judgment we place on ourselves. The saying that “you are your harshest critic” is very true, we beat ourselves up over everything. If you walk into the gym and can’t complete an exercise machine due to a physical disability, or aren’t able to participate in a group class because you aren’t able to mentally keep up, this can be extremely frustrating. “I can’t do this,” “I always mess up,” “My disability strikes again,” are all thoughts that can cloud your mind. But why? Likely, your expectations for yourself are too high. There is of course time for us to have ambitions and goals, but we often push too hard on ourselves, especially in new environments. The last thing you should be doing when beginning your journey into exercise, health, and nutrition, is to be judging yourself for every slip up. I want you to know that EVERYONE messes these things up. You should go into this knowing you probably will mess up to some degree. If you try to use a treadmill for the first time and get overwhelmed and quit, it is okay. If one of your friends shows you an exercise that you don’t understand, it is okay. The idea is that there are many different ways that you can exercise and move your body. Do not be rigid in your plan, following others and what they do, but rather what you want to do and enjoy. If you don’t do this, you will never be able to sustain yourself and lead a happier healthy life.
In short, when you are feeling intimidated in the gym, remind yourself of why you are there. You want to improve your strength, stamina, fitness, and overall self confidence for yourself. Not for the members at the gym, not for the cashier at the grocery store, but for yourself. Find reasons to exercise that directly will impact your life, and make working out a time to work on yourself both physically and mentally. Most importantly, find something that makes you feel confident, something that you enjoy, and something that you can keep up with for a long period of time.
Bio:
Logan Anderson is the owner of All Strong Fitness LLC, an inclusive fitness and health company that helps individuals with a variety of special needs improve their overall wellness. He has worked with seniors, special olympics athletes, best buddies members, and many others to help improve their health lifestyles. He enjoys empowering everyone, regardless of their current physical and mental abilities to become more independent in their health journeys. To learn more about him what he does, feel free to visit allstrongfitness.org for more information.
