going to the gym alone !!!

kulaprabha

Hi there
I go on my own and enjoy it lots now. I did feel a bit shy at first - as well as being alone, I'm also aged 61 so I imagined every else would be half my age. Lots of people are 20/30s but they are a pretty friendly bunch. And lots are my age and older and also pretty friendly. And whether older or younger than me, some are less fit than me and some are heavier than me.....So I'd say go for it. The gym I go to has classes of other activities as well as a swimming pool, so I've got to know people from those.

Ashleypeterson37

I go alone but I didn't want to go alone at first. Just the idea of being over weight and stepping foot in a gym for the first time in years is intimidating. I used to walk with my head down so no one "saw" me! But now I go in, head held high because I know I'm there to get the job done. I have even met some really cool people along the way so if I happen to be there while they are, we walk and talk while on the treadmill! It's fun to feel wanted but you can't get to that point until you put yourself out there! Goodluck!

sammys1girly

I love going alone...it's my ME time to jam to the music on my ipod, watch tv and watch people who are dressed funny, etc... :laugh:

jbond80

I signed up for the gym with a friend, And Now I go alone, It became more of a social thing for my friend and now I perfer to do it on my own, I get a better burn, when Im alone.

nirsky

You go to the gym to workout! not to chat with your friend!
The only reason I see for needing anyone in the gym is to spot you when you lift heavy weights.

I go alone, or workout from my garage alone.

edorice

You could do home workout DVD's instead. Would save you the monthly fee.

Noctuary

I go alone 4 times a week. Then again I swim alot and sometimes it's midnight and I am all alone in the pool. I love it. It's the time to have for me and me alone. I spend alot of time either thinking of things I need to do or I clear my mind completely and stare out at Anderson Copper talking.

jamiesgotagun

I go alone too, at this point I think I would actually be annoyed if someone were to go with me!! Plus half the time I am working out so hard I don't think I could hold a great conversation!

BLK8i

i encourage you to go. this is your time for yourself. to improve on whatever goals you have set! it can be nerve wracking, and your not the only one. however everyone has their own goals. you will be fine! do it for you!!
anything esle, look me up
much success!!
brian lee

zeeeb

i prefer to go alone. otherwise i wouldn't focus properly. i have 2 pre-school aged kids, so for me it's my time that i get a break from them everyday, it really pushes me to go, they drive me crazy, i go the gym for an hour of peace.

i find that i go into the spin room on my own rather than sit on the bikes in the main area so i can be alone.... can you tell i crave a bit of me time?

on mondays i go to the gym after work at 1pm, and there is hardley anyone there, and i love it. i love getting the boxing room on my own and getting stuck in.

i think the moment i am busy talking, i'm wasting time. my hours at the gym are precious and limited, and i certainly don't want to waste them chatting. i like to put my ipod on so that people don't approach me to chat, even the people i know there, i tend to just smile and say hi and leave it at that. i don't have time to waste standing around chatting.

if i turn up early for a class, i don't stand there and wait, i'll do 5-20 minutes extra on a cardio machine. it drives me crazy when i turn up for a spin class and people are there 10-15 minutes early and they sit on their bikes chatting and waiting, not even warming up. if i'm there 10 minutes early, i go hard for 10 minutes and my heart rate is in the 150's before the class even starts. 10 minutes extra here and there will make a difference in the long run.

joannbuist23

I love going alone! I've got a three and four year old who run me wild all day long, my hour at the gym gives me just a little bit of time to myself.

Also I find when I do go with a friend we end up talking too much and I really don't get that good of a work out in.

farewellantic

I like to go to the gym, especially alone. I dont like conversation when Im trying to get my burn on. I see it as, if I make an *kitten* out of myself, I dont know anyone personally, so no big deal. I live in a small ish military town. I wandered around on the first day and I am sure everyone thought I was crazy. I wanted to get to know the equipment, and after I found a routine I liked, no one really pays attention to anyone else. And I blare my iPod

Pebble321

Oh no, its better on your own. Get some great music that you love or audio books on your ipod and just enjoy the time for you.
If you aren't sure what you should be doing ask the staff to help you get started. They might look thin and scary but that is their job and nearly all of them are going to be really nice and very supportive.

vanb0052

I actually prefer to go to the gym alone! I just want to put my earplugs in and go to town...not worry about what my friend is doing.

trcrane

You are so not alone...I went today the first time in 6+ months ALONE. I like the "me" time. You get used to it one you do it a few times and I think you will find that you will grow to like the time to reflect.

whiskyzee

Whenever I use a new gym/fitness center, I'm always a bit uncertain at first (I want to look like I own the workout, not like I'm a befuddled newbie). Really, though, the first time is the hardest. If it helps, ask someone at the front dest to give you a quick tour so that you can locate and start with something that relaxes you and makes you feel comfortable. I always begin with an elliptical or treadmill, which gives me time to look around. It takes me several visits to muscle past all the boys and use the weight room.

christine24t

I go by myself every day! Most people at my gym go alone, so it's perfectly fine!

Swimgoddess

(edited to add: at my gym, it's more like 90% of us are there doing our thing alone!)

I used to only want to go if my hubby was with me, but then ended up more frustrated than not when all he wanted to work on was upper body when I needed to be focusing on lower body : /

Then I had a girl gym buddy who thought it was social hour, didn't take things seriously and would flake out on workouts. Frustrating!!!

Finally, I just went on my own. I was a little intimidated at first, so I started out on the treadmill or recumbant bike and *WATCHED* everyone on the machines until I felt confident enough I could mimic them. The machines also have decals on them for the most part illustrating how they are used if you forget. Learning my way around the freeweight room came a little bit from what I remembered with my husband and a little bit from a free intro session with a PT. Heck... the coolest things I learn are the non-traditional uses for the equipment (like putting my foot through a hand grip on the cable tower to get in some awesome hip abduction moves, or just today I approached a woman who I've seen using the leg press machine sidelying with one leg so she could teach me).

You could even have a sense of humor about it. Last week I saw a new face in the gym; she was very heavy and sporting a tee that said "I beat anorexia!". Man, I just wanted to give her a huge hug and a high five for coming in

ageros

I just get a good audiobook and then I really don't care who is there. A lot of times my wife had to come tell me shes done, since I don't want to stop what I'm doing in the middle of a good part!

dave4d

I've always gone alone. I put in my headphones, and concentrate on my workout. It would be nice to have a spotter with me for bench presses, but if I am worried about not being able to make a lift, I use the smith machine.