'That person' in the Gym

LKArgh

Lois_1989 wrote: »

Hello everyone,

So, I've just got back from the gym, and I've just realised I am now 'that person'. The one people avoid eye contact with. Funnily enough not really with other gym go-ers but the gym staff. I walk in, smile at the person on the desk, get no response, do my work out the whole time noticing that if I make eye contact (not even intentional just look up and happen to make eye contact) with a staff member they look away really quickly. Its unnerving and making me quite self-conscious. To the point where I'm wondering if I am doing something wrong, a technique or misuse of the equipment. This isn't a one off either it has been happening all week. At first I though maybe I ripped my trousers or something embarrassing like that, but nothing that I can see. As a 200lb+ girl the gym isn't exactly the most comfortable place in the world to be to start with, this on top makes it worse.
I'm not really sure how to deal with this. I don't want to stop going or change gyms because they are the only one near by with a squat rack. I didn't know if anyone had suggestions on what it could be or how to deal with it?

Thank you

Most probably, it is just in your head or not related to you at all (e.g. maybe management requested they are in general more formal).
If you are 100% it is you, have you chnaged anything in your routine? I have seen at times people do some really weird or even dangerous things, and often employees appear to be just uncomfortable, not know what to say for fear of offending a client.
The only other thing I can think of is body odour, but I suspect you would have noticed everyone avoiding you in this case.

fitzman84

dbienz wrote: »

AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »

You're overthinking this. From my perspective, the societal rules of the gym are to interact only when negotiating equipment use.

Just throwing it out there, but this may be attentional bias. That is the tendency of our perception to be affected by our own recurring thoughts. In other words, your perception of other people in the gym (not making eye contact, being rude, avoiding you), may be distorted or affected by your preexisting belief that they would perform such behaviors towards you when you were there. Because of that recurring thought you sought out behaviors that could be perceived this way, even if that was not at all the intention. Someone else may assume the employee is busy, is having a bad day, or they don't need any help working out because they are so awesome!

This is just a thought and could be completely off base. I know when I first went back to the gym I felt like everyone was giving me weird looks, like "what is this chick doing?" After a few trips I realized people were glancing but in a natural way that we do; looking around the gym, watching for lifting ideas, spacing out, or even checking out the hot person at the gym (aka me!)

This^^^

Everyone at the gyms looks around in between sets or exercises. I used to think I was doing something wrong when I first started too... over time you get used to it.