Are you self conscious working out in public?

EJand94

I hate working out outside, whenever anybody is at the house, and especially at a gym because I feel like people are judging you so much ^__^ Are you like this also? If so, how do you grow out of it??

Ittybitty22

same for me i just started letting my boy friend watch

LadyVivica

I am EXTREMELY scared of working out around other people..even my bf...I would feel better about it if i was under 150lbs...

Irish_Lanie

I love having friends to work out with and Im usually too busy enjoying myself to worry about what anyone else in the gym thinks.

Nastasha915

I used to. But I reminded myself that when I go to the gym, I'm not looking around internally commenting on others. It's unlikely others are doing that too. Most people just want to workout and go home. Now I don't worry about it so much.

migoi357

If you feel someone is judging you while your working out... arch one eyebrow up, give them a 2 second hard stare, and beam the words "BITE ME" at them really hard. Then move on with your workout.

Seriously though...they're probably thinking the same thing about you..OMG, that fantastic looking person over there is judging me. We're only bit players in everyone else's internal dialog.

drumprincess1

sometimes i do....when i went to the gym it wasn't bad but i definitely feel like that when i go running in my neighborhood. but now im sort of over it because im the one who is gonna look good and my neighbors won't haha :ppp but ya, i just say rock it out

Meikmeika

Definitely! I always think I look awkward at the gym, especially on the treadmill. I don't workout in front of my fiance either...

Fortunately I go to the gym early in the morning when a handful of people are there.

Zoeeee_xx

Just think, everyone at the gym are there for whatever reasons, they will be too busy exercising so they aren’t going to be looking at you. Just focus on your workout. Maybe once you feel comfortable working out at the gym in front of people, you can go outdoors. To be honest, i couldn’t care less if people look at me while I’m exercising, I probably won’t see them again!

Losingweightforgood2019

When I am at the gym, lifting weights or out walking I have no problem being out these things. BUT for over 20 years, the ONLY time I would run was during the night/dark time or run on my treadmill. I didn't want anyone to see me running....I have no idea why....but anything else I don't care about.

MoreBean13

I think it will get better once you force yourself to just do it a couple times. Seriously. Put your headphones on, music as loud as possible, and just tune out everyone around you. You will soon realize this is what most people are doing- tuning everyone out. They're really not paying as much attention to you as you think.

wondrturtle

Nope, in fact today I did circuits at the park. I like being outside and if other people are out there I highly doubt they are even thinking about what I am doing. And at the gym, everyone is there getting their sweat on so I definitely don't worry about judgment there.

lacroyx

I used to. I was 400+ at the time. I was worried about what others thought. that they point and laugh. then I decided to stop gaf what others thought.

mruntidy

I was and still am, i got tricked into working out outside my gym, i say tricked i think shock therapy with my PT. The conversation went like this;

PT how you doing then enjoying the weather
Me yeah absolutely it's gorgeous out
PT i know, far too nice to be stuck working out in the gym
Me yeah tell me about it
PT glad you agree, grab that VPR we're working out outside today
Me yeah, wait,what?!

I then worked out on the steps of the GMEX building in the city centre of Manchester - i think i sweated more out of anxiety than anything but i did it, it was awkward at first with people milling about in suits n noticing the odd look, but by the end i felt brilliant and had a great sense of achievement.

Its never as bad as you think it'll be

YoukilledJosh

I used to get bothered by the looks I got with my shirt sweat stained all over but I stopped caring after the first few weeks

Martin0524

I used to be that way.. But honestly.... No one is paying any attention to you.... they are there doing the same thing you are doing.. Working out...

Now I will workout anywhere and with anyone around.... But I still have public speaking issues.. go figure.. LMAO

Lissakaye81

I know for me, I am painfully shy working out. At gyms I am the girl in the oversized outfit, all black from head to toe, keeping all eyes from me. I have a big set of girls upstairs and wont run in public. I have pretty much assembled a decent home gym, weights, treadmill and stuff. On the 6th I am gonna have to put all fears aside and suck it up cause I am gonna meet with a trainer to learn correct form for lifting. I am so nervous! I have decided, I have to work my a** off so I can be one of the bunnies at the gym one day, and have other girls hate me for wearing makeup to the gym, lookin hot as f***, in a cute outfit and playing with bigger weight than the boys

wftiger

Just remember they are feeling the same way. I do go to a women's only gym because I am not as comfortable as I would like to be in those situations. I keep think the smaller I get the more I will but doubt it. I sweat horribly and look like crap when I am done so still would feel like I was making a scene of myself.

I just go in, find my machine and get to it. Then I wash up a bit and leave. I am not there to make friends so no need to hang around. I just want to be healthy so I know to do that I have to go because I can not afford it the machines at home.

I am not as uncomfortable walking outside anymore. It would be better if I had a dog or something so people driving by don't feel sorry for the fat girl out walking because she has to but again, I do it for my health so I suck it up and deal. I feel loads better then when I started exercising 3 months ago so not willing to go back to couch potato life. 5k a day no matter what.

iiiEllie

We only have two gyms where I'm from that are decent, and there are no overweight people that go to them. Both are horrible gossip factories that remind me of highschool. The only females that are at them are typically in full makeup and there to pick up.

mmapags

I can only tell you my thought process. I am more concerned with what I'm doing than what anyone else is doing. The only exception to that is if someone is doing something really awesome close by. That happens very infrequently but the day the guy starts knocking out pull ups in the L position while wearing a USMC t-shirt comes to mind! lol Other than that most people are too caught up in their own thing, especially in the gym, to care that much about what you are doing.

saustin201

I walk with friends most of the time. The other time I am on a gravel road between corn/wheat fields and no one sees me. I don't care if they do.

mmarcy7

I feel more self conscious at the gym than I do outside. I really don't care what anyone thinks of me outside for some reason. The gym I used to go to was mostly older people, so I didn't care as much, but the new gym I am at is a lot of younger people/college people. I am finally getting to the point in my life though where I really don't care what other people think if me. I figure, at least I am trying. I may be overweight, and huffing and puffing while running, but at least I am doing it and not sitting at home on the couch.

eta - I would much rather work out around stangers than people I know though. I generally work out alone and would feel weird doing it with friends I haven't worked out with before.

ktapia08

I used to be VERY self conscious when working out in public. I've come to realize why waste time and energy worrying about what other people think? Put that energy into your workout and remember that you are working out for YOU!

kale_powered

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they look at me, but I wonder that in general. It's never stopped me from working out in public. I run outside every day and the area I run through has a couple of really busy streets (but they have the nice, new, huge sidewalks next to them), but most people are just driving to something or if they're out like me, they're biking, walking the dog, or running just like me and I can guarantee that they're all lost in their own thoughts and their headphones just the same. Once I got into my own groove and quit thinking about other people the idea of being self conscious working out in public seems rather unfounded.

redcat17

When I first started going to the gym I felt sort of that way, but not any more. I realized that no one there is perfect, and most everyone there is trying to improve fitness, just like me. Except the people who take up space on the machines while doing nothing but texting. I still haven't figured out why they're at the gym.

Flugangst

At first. But then I got over it and continued to tell myself that we're all there for the same reason: To exercise. (Well, most everyone. Occasionally there is a clique of kids who just come in to **** around on the equipment.)

Venturin

I believe that in general, ALL of us who are trying to improve ourselves respect the effort of all, from the flat, toned hotties to the muscle men to the obese grandmother sweating through her t-shirt.

When I am hiking on the trail and I see a very large person pushing along I give them some verbal encouragement "keep it up!" and a smile to let them know it's a very good thing they are doing.

Virtually no one will be giving you any grief and that miniscule number that do have their own issues.
Like another poster said, you needn't "gaf" about them!

-V-

Kandygirl

i was just asked by a really pretty and thin co-worker if i wanted to go to the gym and workout with her. i'm really nervous. i know i'm older and much more out of shape. i'm pretty damn self conscious about it now.

mfpcopine

I'm extremely myopic. I don't wear my glasses while working out.

hesn92

I used to be but I've gotten over it. I still feel kind of silly sometimes like people are judging me or I'm afraid I'm doing something wrong and people are secretly making fun or me or something. Lol.

But you have to remember you are working out to improve yourself so no one else should even matter. At the gym, if someone is even paying that much attention to what you are doing, then that is more their problem than yours. If they focused that attention on themselves instead, they would get a lot more out of their time.

yourenotmine

I am, because I turn BRIGHT RED when I exercise and I find it really embarrassing. Somehow I'm usually less concerned at the gym than outside... I think it's because in my neighborhood people always see my walking my dogs and want to talk to me, and I don't want people to talk to me if I'm running. At the gym, most people will ignore me. I do get embarrassed in the group classes though, so I try my best to remind myself that this is not about them, it's supposed to be for me.