Gym Phobia

ALY2380

I've had two different gym memberships & can probably count on my fingers how many times I actually went to the gym. You'd think getting myself to work out in front of strangers would be easy, I mean no one knows me, but I've seriously had times before where I got the parking lot and never went in. I have a friend who wants me to join the YMCA with her & I know there really is no GOOD reason not to, but can anyone else out there relate to this fear of the gym?? Do you have a story to share on how you overcame your fears? Or even if you want to tell me to shut up & get over my fear, I'd love to hear it all. I'm new to MFP & will take any kind of support/motivation I can get

LittleMissDover

Spend the money on some good workout programmes to do at home instead. If you're not comfortable going to the gym then don't but remember, most people are too busy looking at/worrying about themselves or working out to care about you and what you're doing!

lilred806

I love my local YMCA. I go almost everyday. Sometimes just to take my kids to class but I am there. The more I go the more it feels like a second home. I recognize people and have friends there now. So if you want to overcome it you can. If not get a few DVDs. This might be a good chance to overcome a fear. It's great you have a friend to help. I love the classes. My YMCA has a coupon for a free week online you should check to see if yours does. Maybe go as a guest a couple of times as well. Try some classes and see if you can picture yourself there. Everyone I have met has been very friendly and supportive. My own insecurities did make me nervous at first but my local y is way different than any gym I had been to before. Good luck!

cook6609

I don't like the gym either... I workout at home... I am currently doing the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels... When I finish that, I'll be working out on my treadmill at home... The downfall is that I only have a treadmill and the dvds... If I want any other equipment, I would have to go out an buy it. Another negative about not going to a gym is that I cannot ask trainers for advice. The plus side is I don't have to care about what I look like working out. I don't have to care about feeling like I take more breaks than other people... I tend to compare myself to others... Working out at home helps me to avoid this and focus on myself and what my body can/cannot handle... I personally love working out at home... Plus, I'm a stay at home and a work at home mom. I honestly have only 30 minutes a day (and barely that) to work out. Either way, as long as you are exercising, it doesn't matter whether you are at a gym or at home... Do what makes you feel comfortable...

wibutterflymagic

I used to be like that too. I've had multiple memberships over the years and literally paid a monthly fee for almost 2yrs after only using it the first month of having it. I hated the gym. I felt very out of place and thought everyone was watching me and probably just a little bit of social anxiety. It wasn't until I totally and completely committed myself to this journey and started here on MFP that my mindset changed. I just decided I had to do it. Luckily I have a workout room at work so it wasn't as intimidating when I started, but if I had the funds I wouldn't hesitate now to join the Y or other gym. I just did it and once I started I came to realize that no one really cares what you are doing and if you are focused on your own workout you don't have time to bother with anyone else. I don't care what anyone thinks. I'm there for my fitness and I know what I'm doing is right(form etc). Getting advice from a trainer on proper form is huge in making you feel comfortable.

bostongrl13

Can you start going to the gym during slow times or early in the morning to get comfortable with your new surroundings?

I struggle with anxiety as well and still get nervous when I go to the gym during a busy time. This is why I like working out early in the morning. The people there are focused on getting in, working out, and getting out.

Also, going with your friend is a great idea as well! If she's already been going to that gym, she will be a great resource for learning how to use the equipment, and you will have someone to talk to and be comfortable with while you are there!

Good luck!!!

tazhinshaw

I can't go to the gym either, I know that nobody there will be watching me or anything but it just freaks me out. I have really bad public anxiety (I can't even go to walmart w/o getting really stressed out). So, I do workout video's at home!

juliemouse83

Ha! This is SOOOO me!

I had a Y membership for years and maybe went 20 times? I blamed in on the fact that it wasn't really conveniently located.

Then I discovered a gym right by my house. AWESOME! Okay...not, LOL...I was a member six months and thing I went (excluding the 4 zumba classes I attended) eight times.

I will be of no help...

I didn't get over it. I still don't like the gym. I have equipment at home that I use in a space that I am lucky enough to have so that I can do the workouts I like (lifting and elliptical, belly dancing and yoga) in a comfortable space. In what I have saved in further gym memberships, it's already more than paid for the equipment, and I am just as happy as can be.

714rah714

I remember walking around the gym for the first time before joining and thinking 'Holy *kitten*'' this place is medieval. But since I was looking for a place to run throughout the cold and snowy winter months here in the great northeast, I figured 'What the hell'. So I joined and started running, but gradually I found myself using the equipment in the circuit training room, more and more. Since then, I continue to run but my routine has evolved to the point where I'm almost exclusively using free weights. This story is probably a common one for a lot of people here and I'm sure if you just say 'What the hell' and give it a couple of weeks they'll be no looking back. Good luck to you.

verptwerp

Just do it ...... you have every right to be there ....... just shut off that little voice in the back of your head and get in there :drinker:

Cr01502

Do you have a story to share on how you overcame your fears? Or even if you want to tell me to shut up & get over my fear, I'd love to hear it all. I'm new to MFP & will take any kind of support/motivation I can get

Just show up there consistently.

The fear will dissipate.

petersonabt

I to was like you. I didn't wanna get sweaty and gross in front of a bunch of strangers. I would pull up and drive away. It was an awful cycle and the times I did finally go in...I did my hair and make up before I went....(uh yeah I was that girl). It took me finally being ready for a change in my life to plug in my headphones and drown out everyone else and just do what I had to to feel better about myself. I don't pay attention to those around me (as in if they are staring and I don't stare) I just tune it all out and go. I know LOVE the gym and can't imagine have ever being worried about going into one!

but like someone else suggested if the gym really isn't for you then just do at home programs. don't bother wasting your money on another membership your not gonna use when you could have just worked out at home.

sunnyside1213

I have a free membership to 24 hour fitness and I never go. I just don't like to leave the house.

Reinventing_Me

I did...and then I stopped caring what I THOUGHT people were going to think. Everyone is there for the same reason. I had to get out of my head and just get in there. Now, I can't imagine NOT going at least a few times a week.

saxmaniac

I struggle with anxiety as well and still get nervous when I go to the gym during a busy time. This is why I like working out early in the morning. The people there are focused on getting in, working out, and getting out.

If that's your midsection, then I'm pretty sure you generate more far more anxiety in others than experience yourself...

RobinRayn

I've had two different gym memberships & can probably count on my fingers how many times I actually went to the gym. You'd think getting myself to work out in front of strangers would be easy, I mean no one knows me, but I've seriously had times before where I got the parking lot and never went in. I have a friend who wants me to join the YMCA with her & I know there really is no GOOD reason not to, but can anyone else out there relate to this fear of the gym?? Do you have a story to share on how you overcame your fears? Or even if you want to tell me to shut up & get over my fear, I'd love to hear it all. I'm new to MFP & will take any kind of support/motivation I can get

I used to feel the same way, but now I walk in there head high and totally oblivious. I found wearing head phones help zone out others. You gotta woman up bite the bullet. Every time you do it it gets a little easier.

_noob_

Just show up there consistently.

The fear will dissipate.

My squat, bench and deadlift total are well over 1300 lbs and I was EXTREMELY nervous the first few times I worked out in a public gym.

Just go, get over the fear.

csuhar

I generally haven't had too much of an issue with going to the gym, but after my cancer treatments, where my performance was REALLY weakened and I looked like Uncle Fester, I was nervous and even slightly ashamed about being out in a public gym again.

I found that the YMCA was actually a pretty good place to go because there is such diversity among the users. You have everyone from the fitness nut to the high school athletes to the aged and infirm. It didn't feel as focused or efficient as I'd become accustomed to when exercising in military gyms where everybody's at the same basic level of fitness, but I really didn't feel embarassed out on the floor because there were so many other ability levels out there with me.

One of the things that really had me feeling uncomforable were the 12-18 inches of scarring on my body from my cancer biopsies and treatments. In fact, I'm still not terribly comfortable taking my shirt off in public (although I'm comfortable doing it in locker room scenarios, now). But there are plenty of people who went to the YMCA who werent' focused on aesthetics and many who had scars similar to mine. The only downside to that is that there were some people who were so cavalier about how they looked they'd hang around in the locker room stark naked- no towel, no underwear, just their bits out there for everyone to see, and sometimes for extended periods *shudder*.

So I would say you might want to look at less-intense gyms such as the YMCA because everybody's different and you'll have that variety from serious athletes to people who are simply trying to move, period. Plus, depending on your schedule, you may be able to even find a particular timeframe when you feel more comfortable.

mattschwartz01

I've had two different gym memberships & can probably count on my fingers how many times I actually went to the gym. You'd think getting myself to work out in front of strangers would be easy, I mean no one knows me, but I've seriously had times before where I got the parking lot and never went in. I have a friend who wants me to join the YMCA with her & I know there really is no GOOD reason not to, but can anyone else out there relate to this fear of the gym?? Do you have a story to share on how you overcame your fears? Or even if you want to tell me to shut up & get over my fear, I'd love to hear it all. I'm new to MFP & will take any kind of support/motivation I can get

I can relate because sometimes I feel that other people are judging me. I got over this simply by looking at the gym as a personal activity. I put my headphones on and just drift away. I also despise the locker room but I don't have to use it so I don't. I just shower and clean up at home. It is important to understand that while your "fear" may feel real it isn't - It's simply a feeling ... let it go and make the gym a personal experience. Real fear is like a lion about ready to make you a light snack.

squiggyflop

I have a phobia of sweating in public,and a fear of changing clothes in public, and one of showing how weak I am in public. I actually like the ymca. There is always some little corner where no one can see you workout, and they have a nice steam room. They have a sauna but I do not like the dry heat.

Anyway the ymca is not like any other gym. Its friendly and if a serious weight lifters grunting is making you uncomfortable, there are always duplicates of machines on the other side of the gym. For some reason I really hate the serious weight lifters seeing how light the weights im using are and how much I struggle with them, even though I know they had to start with light weights too.

I like a gym where I can see other overweight people working hard. Ymca attracts a diverse group

fractalbrain

I think what you are experiencing is not at all abnormal and not unexpected at all. In order for you to effectively get stuff done (exercise or otherwise) you need to feel safe. Unfortunately, some of that may be up to you and you may need to train yourself to accept being around others at the gym (if you want to go to the gym). Listening to music, audiobooks, and podcasts may help keep your mind unconcerned with others. If you don't already, you might make that a routine. Maybe there is something else positive that you can associate with going to the gym.

There was a hospital near one of the places I worked and out at their gym. It was wonderful. Nice, quiet, with people focused on a combination of rehab, clearing the brain after a shift, getting back to a safe weight, and getting "ripped." In short, THAT place felt safe and it was designed to feel safe. I really liked going there. I feel much more anxious about the idea of joining a local gym. Oh well.

ALY2380

I did...and then I stopped caring what I THOUGHT people were going to think. Everyone is there for the same reason. I had to get out of my head and just get in there. Now, I can't imagine NOT going at least a few times a week.

THIS is what I know I need to do & I'm glad people can relate & that people have overcome their fears. I'm trying to get into a routine at home, but have you ever tried using a treadmill when your dog thinks its fun to put her toys on there b/c they go flying off the end or doing a DVD w/ a 70 lb dog trying to "play" along?! It doesn't make for the most productive workouts.
I just became active on this site this week & seeing the workouts other people are logging is whats pushing me to reconsider my gym phobia. I suppose it really comes down to either being uncomfortable at the gym or forever being uncomfortable in my own body.

Anna800

Workout at home, that's what I do.

CCusedtodance

I quit the gym when I got a bad case of flu/strep, which my physician said probably came from my gym since several people were overheard coughing (sounded like a lung from one guy) while working out. Now I workout at home and only my breath or the dogs is what I breathe. :laugh:

scjl132

The first time I walked in to take a look around I was very nervous but decided I didn't want to break my neck walking on icy streets so it was my only option. The second time I walked in, just to use the treadmill, I was so nervous I almost went back to the car and headed home. Now, I walk in and LOVE it. No one cares what others are doing and I have found some of the early morning regulars were very helpful in explaining how other equipment works and I appreciated their comments when they noticed I had lost weight.. If you truly can't do it, then work out at home, with the money you don't spend on gym memberships you could spend on additional equipment for your home.

juliabw33

I hate the gym also. I started working out about 2 weeks ago and I have only missed one day so far. I go at times when I know it will be less packed. I tried working out at home but unfortunately home is where my couch is located and I would feel free to skip the workout video and sit on my butt. Now I force myself to go to gym because people ARE looking at me which means I can't be a wuss and stop after 15 minutes on the elliptical when i'm about to die! You can do it!!

griffga1

I've never been on a machine at my Y, but absolutely love the classes. All shapes and sizes, doing what they can, and everyone is proud of everyone's accomplishments in the classes. People are friendly, and I think over time you can make some good friends there. I take the zumba, BodyCombat, and Power Yoga classes. Would love to take more but these are the only ones that fit into my schedule. You should try going for free for a week, that way there is no commitment.

monipie

I've had two different gym memberships & can probably count on my fingers how many times I actually went to the gym. You'd think getting myself to work out in front of strangers would be easy, I mean no one knows me, but I've seriously had times before where I got the parking lot and never went in. I have a friend who wants me to join the YMCA with her & I know there really is no GOOD reason not to, but can anyone else out there relate to this fear of the gym?? Do you have a story to share on how you overcame your fears? Or even if you want to tell me to shut up & get over my fear, I'd love to hear it all. I'm new to MFP & will take any kind of support/motivation I can get

i had panic attacks before going to the gym almost 80% of the time last year. i would sit in my car and take deep breaths until i could muster the will to actually go in. it helped me to have my music on and headphones in. so- i could block out the outside world. i am almost over my panic attacks but i still have them every now and then. sorry hun. you are not alone.

Derpina7

One thing that encouraged me to go to the gym more was that mine has a 'ladies only' section (even then I was self concious, and that section is pretty quiet), maybe you could find a gym that offers that? Workout classes are great too, I find the people at my gym friendly so soon overcame my self-consciousness.
If it really comes down to it, there are a lot of great at home work-out videos - I recommend Jillian Michael vids

hiyomi

Maybe your phobia is an excuse not to workout and you haven't realized it? Didn't read whole post, but if you are working out somewhere else, nvm what I said

muziclver

I was the exact same way. I recently started "sucking it up' and going to the gym about last week or so. I started going to the YMCA around 7:30 - 8 when there was hardly anyone in there. Try not to look at anyone. They honestly don't look at you, you are just making it much harder than it needs to be on yourself. The hardest part is walking in. After you get started, it's super easy (: