How Not to Feel Intimidated at the Gym

So you want to join a gym, or you’ve even taken the plunge and enrolled in a membership. Then you go in and feel totally out of your element. Whether it’s not knowing where to start, worrying about what all the other gym goers are doing and thinking, or you’re just feeling lost, it’s common to feel intimidated at the gym. Here’s how not to feel that way and get comfortable working out!

I don’t know how to use the equipment!

Not knowing how to use the equipment is one of the most common reasons people feel intimidated at the gym. Here are some ways to find out how to use the equipment without worrying that you’re going to end up on one of those Gym Fail YouTube videos.

First, read this post I wrote on a beginner’s guide to the gym. It has some simple tips that you may not know about how to use the weights. Second, don’t be afraid to ask the gym staff for help. If you feel uncomfortable approaching a trainer on the gym floor, head to the front desk and ask the staff there if you could set up a meeting with a personal trainer just to show you how to use things. The bonus to this plan is you can even choose a time when it’s not busy, so you have more time and space to be shown exactly how the equipment works.

Also, don’t forget the magic of the internet. Just search for how to use gym equipment and you’ll find tons of videos and tutorials aimed specifically at beginners.

You could always enlist the help of a fit friend to workout with you a few times. If they’re not a member of your gym, see if the gym offers its members free passes for friends (many places give away a number of free visits), or offer to pay for your friend’s day pass in exchange for their company and advice. Just make sure your friend is not actually training you – this is against the rules at most gyms, because their liability only covers the trainers they have on payroll.

Most gyms allow members to use their group fitness rooms when a class isn’t going on. Check with the desk staff, take a schedule to make sure, and enjoy some empty space while you’re still getting into the habit of working out. Most group fitness spaces have weights, mats and sometimes other equipment available right there in the studio.

I don’t have anything to wear…

If you are new to working out, or it’s been a while, you may not have any workout clothes or shoes. Don’t worry, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a few things that will work. First, shop your closet! You may have some tank tops or leggings that you wear as regular clothes that would work for the gym as well. But never discount the power of cute new workout clothes you love to help motivate you to go to the gym, and keep going back! 🙂

Check out online sites like Zulily, which usually have great deals on workout gear (just be sure that the item you’re looking at is ready to ship – sometimes they’re inexpensive because they don’t ship right away), Amazon, or secondhand online deals on sites like thredUP. Some inexpensive stores to shop in person are Old Navy, Walmart, or H&M. (Also, I wrote a post on the best workout gear under $50 if you need more ideas!)

Shoes are important, because wearing old, worn out shoes can be an easy way to injure yourself. Your best bet is to go to a specialty athletic shoe store. A lot of the time, it may be marketed as a running shoe store, but even if you’re not a runner, go in and ask about shoes for lifting weights, for group fitness, or when in doubt for cross training (which basically means a little bit of everything). Once you narrow down the brands and styles that feel best, if the price in store is prohibitive, you can always check out if you can find them online for less.

Everyone is judging me.

They’re probably not. And even if you do see people looking at you, any judgement is most likely positive – everyone starts somewhere and those fit people you see at the gym are likely to have been in your shoes at some point, feeling intimidated and not sure what to do! Remember, you can always put earphones in and focus on your own music, books, or podcasts to take your mind off this fear.

Having a plan of what you want to do at the gym can really help with this anxiety as well – it’s when we’re between exercises, looking around and deciding what to do next that we start thinking that everyone is looking at us or wondering what we’re doing there. Here are free printables for writing down what you want to do, so you don’t feel lost after the first ten minutes of your workout.

If your anxiety stems from how you look, remember, you look the same in the gym as you do at work or school, or anywhere our in public. Whether you think you’re overweight, or thin, or not muscly enough, or you don’t like the way you look in workout clothes, trust me when I tell you that every single person in that gym with you could pick apart their own appearance in a heartbeat (and are probably also worrying about themselves too much to pay attention to you).

What if I do something wrong?

It will probably happen sooner or later. Once when I was very pregnant and training someone, I took a shortcut through the cardio area to go get a weight for my client and misjudged how much room my pregnant body needed to fit through a space. Then I found myself totally stuck between a treadmill and a spin bike. My client had to come over and tip the spin bike on its side so I could get myself out of there.

I have worked in fitness and in gyms for over ten years. I’ve seen gym goers fall off treadmills, break equipment, shatter so many mirrors I’ve lost count, use equipment wildly incorrectly, smack into walls and machines, fall off stability balls, accidentally throw things and more.

If you do something wrong, honestly no one really notices or cares, apart from making sure someone is okay if they look like they’ve gotten hurt. My point is, it happens, you definitely aren’t the first, and it’s not as big of a deal as you are worrying about.

In terms of gym etiquette, a lot of it is common sense. If you are finished using equipment, wipe it with the provided gym wipes. If someone asks to work in with you on a machine or equipment (that means take a turn while you’re resting), it’s polite to share. Don’t listen to music on a speaker, use headphones. Don’t use a cardio machine for hours in the middle of the busy period while people are waiting. All common sense (and courtesy)!

I guess I’ll just do cardio.

I mean, there’s nothing wrong with cardio if that’s what you want to do, or if you find it fun. But if you’re sticking to the cardio machines simply because you have no idea what you’re doing, you’re going to get bored quickly and you’ll probably stop seeing results after a while. Try picking just two exercises either with machines or free weights that you can do either before or after cardio, to ease yourself into feeling comfortable away from the ellipticals. Check out the benefits of adding strength training to your routine for more inspiration!

Remember – everyone started somewhere! Sometimes just acknowledging that you aren’t the first or last person to feel this way about working out in a gym can help you navigate through feeling intimidated or overwhelmed. Hang in there and start building your fitness routine, you’ll be one of the regulars before you know it!

What holds you back from working out at the gym?

Have you ever felt anxiety or felt intimidated by the weight room floor?