Hey all,
Since it's the new year and a lot of people want to start hitting the gym but are self-conscious, I wanted to share the tips that worked for me to get comfortable and dare I say confident (sometimes) working out in a public space.
Day 1 - Recon day - you are literally just here to get the lay of the land today, the workout is secondary. Bring clean shoes, comfy clothes that you don't feel self-conscious in (for me that meant baggy and neutral colored), a water bottle, and headphones.
As you check in, ask the staff where the cardio machines are so that you can walk in and head right for them. Choose any machine you want but I recommend grabbing a stationary bike or an elliptical with a good view of the whole space. No one will need to bother you and you can't be in anyone's way on a cardio machine so it's a safe choice for your first day at a new gym or at a gym period. I like the bike or elliptical machines because a) you are the one making the machine move, so there is no danger if you get distracted like there might be with a stair machine or treadmill. And b) no one can see what resistance you have the machine set to, so you can go at your own speed without any judgement from others if that is something you worry about. Just set the resistance light and move your body gently.
Once you're on the machine, pop your headphones on but don't play any media. As you're pedaling on your bike, take the chance to observe the whole space. Dont stare at people obviously haha, but just scan the space. Check out where the water fountains are, where the sanitizing bottles are, where the garbage cans are, where people go to stretch and where the mats are stored. Those are your necessities to feel comfortable in the space and not have that awkward feeling of being lost.
Then start observing the people and listening to the sounds of the gym. You'll see people working out in a million different ways, everything from huge strong powerlifters to people doing injury rehab with no weights at all. You'll see people sprinting on treadmills and also people casually walking while texting. Hopefully you'll also see that most people are in their own world, no one really cares what other people do unless they are asking to share equipment. If people are looking at others, they are either admiring someone's technique, watching how to use a specific machine, or just fully zoned out.
When you're done with your workout, clean your machine and head home. Repeat this plan as many times as you need to build your confidence!
Day 2 - first workout day! Now you know where to go and you can play around with the resistance settings on your cardio machine if you'd like. Do something to get your heart rate up (even if it's just for a couple minutes), and then head over to the stretching area after you're done, following the behaviors you observed yesterday. Repeat this plan as many times as you need to feel confident! If you're interested in cardio mainly, you can pretty much just keep repeating this. Ask a staff member or a friendly-looking person (as long as they aren't wearing headphones or mid-workout) to explain how to use any machines that you're curious about.
Day 3 - if you're interested in strength training - for me I found the dumbbells to be the best place to start. That's because there is no chance of "fumbling" with a complex machine (which I was always anxious about) and no one will ask you to share a set of dumbbells. Plus you can find a cozy spot where people won't be walking past you. Also it's safer due to lower chance of injury (because you can just drop a dumbbell, it can't come down on your neck like a barbell bench press or something).
During your observations, you'll get a sense of the gym etiquette. If it's a very busy gym, usually people will just grab 1 pair of dumbbells and do their 3 sets of 10 reps (for example) and then put them back on the rack. If it's not busy, people might grab 2 pairs of dumbbells and alternate their exercises. Find some exercises online that you feel confident with and build up your repertoire. Ask staff or friendly people to explain complex machines that you're interested in using (or sneakily observe how others do it). As you get confident, you can start branching out into the squat racks as well - make sure to do your research about safety/spotting first.
Good luck and have fun! This strategy worked wonders for me but everyone has their own journey so definitely comment if a different strategy worked for you.
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source https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/102ndzf/gym_guide_for_nervous_firsttimers_or_returners/
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