5 ways to deal with gym-timidation

Remember: the gym is not a jungle! So here’s 5 ways to deal with gym-timidation. As we all have those moments of self-doubt when it comes to the gym, especially when it means being in the weights room. ‘What if I don’t know what I’m doing?’ ‘Will everyone look at me?’ And ‘why am I the only girl?’ But don’t let self-doubt get in the way of you growing that J-Lo booty this summer.

Read our 5 ways to deal with gym-timidation.

Believe in yourself

Walking into the gym for the first time can bring a mix of emotions; you may feel embarrassed, self-conscious or even like you don’t deserve to be there, but here’s a newsflash – you DO! As GymCube’s nutritionist Ben Coomber explains: ‘you have just as much right to be in the gym as anyone else, don’t feel bad about using any equipment, you pay your membership just like everyone else.’ Ben assures: ‘you might be new to the place, or not know the ropes as well as others, but that doesn’t matter – it’s your gym as much as theirs!’

Do your homework

Being in the weights room can be a daunting and intimidating place when you aren’t positive about what you are doing is correct. Tally Rye, London’s top personal trainer, co-founder and creator of the successful #GirlGains, recommends making sure your form and technique is correct: ‘book just one or two sessions with a personal trainer to nail the basics. Once you know the basics, it sets you on a path to accelerating your progress.’

Keep focused

So you’ve been psyching yourself up for a killer workout, ready to break a sweat, but after seeing another woman bench her body weight, you can’t help but feel your confidence taking a knock. Sure it’s pretty impressive, but also quite off-putting and many people experience this intimidation within the gym. Ben says: ‘always have in the back of your mind that this a journey for you, a process. Many feel bad in the gym because they are not in as good a shape as they ‘should’ be; that they don’t look as good as others. Keep saying to yourself: “I am here and this is the beginning of an exciting journey for me, everyone else is further down the line than me, good for them, but this is about me and my journey, not anyone else”.’

Ditch the comparisons

‘Comparison is the thief of joy’, said Theodore Roosevelt. And comparing yourself to another person at the gym will not get you very far. It’s an easy trap to fall in and a mistake that one to many chose to make. Solution? Just say hi! It may seem like that other girl is way more experienced than you, but behind that resting gym face is likely to be someone who finds 50 squats as tricky as you do.

Treat yourself

If you look the part, you feel the part right? Finally, give your wardrobe a fitness makeover, for the ultimate confidence boost! Ben advises: ‘wear clothes that make you feel good, take a water bottle, get your tunes on the iPod and just rock your way through your workout, don’t worry about others, just focus on you, have fun with it, embrace it, and see your new gym journey as a new adventure.’