Face goes red when working out , gym confidence advice?

13

Replies

  • CatAMcC
    CatAMcC Posts: 166 Member
    I get all red, always have, always will I suppose. Only thing that stops it is when I've completely cooled down. Wear that red face with pride - you worked hard!

    Exactly!! Ive suddenly developed getting so sweaty and red last few weeks but people have said to me it seems ive upped my game in gym and its paying off.

    If anything your putting others to shame who arn't!
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
    This post inspired me to have the courage to do something i had been yearning to do but avoiding for a while. I was thinking about how myself & the others were encouraging you to go & not be anxious. I felt a little like a hypocrite because i chicken out on this one thing all the time.....So i finally did it......

    I walked to the park nearby to *try* to do some pullups dips & other stuff on the jungle gym. Now, originally i had planned to go only at night with no one else around, because i am not strong enough to do many "real" reps & the ones i can do aren't pretty. So I felt embarrassed to have others watching me while i inevitably struggled on the bars....but for days i put off even going at night. i just felt to shy about it the idea of even one of my neighbors being out & seeing me was holding me back. I walk by that spot on a daily basis...

    Well, i planned a walk by during the day to scope out the area for later that night. There was a girl on the bench nearby talking on her phone, a guy across the street mowing his law & a dad & his little girl came by to grab a drink from the fountain. I walked into the park around the jungle gym, I was about to leave but then all of a sudden i decided to give it a go. At first it felt weird because it was SO out of my comfort zone. I admit it, i felt silly for a minute...but then i just got into my workout & didn't give anyone else a second thought. i'm so glad i did it. I did struggle. I was huffing & puffing. My arms were shaking, and i'm sure my face was red. i bet it didn't look very impressive heehee--but hey, i have to start somewhere right? I know that if I keep trying to do it eventually i will get stronger & better at it. Tomorrow i am going back for round two I'll be there in broad daylight & anyone around will see my shaky arms & red face hanging from the bars :D
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    i actually see the red faced people in the gym and I think

    "sheesh they are going ALL out....they are really bringing it.....I should start bringing it more."

    I don't think you should feel bad at all...I think it's a sign of exertion and that's something to be proud of.
  • audra0831
    audra0831 Posts: 244
    I get red faced, too...super duper red! And I LOVE my red face, because when I see it, I KNOW that I kicked butt! Wear that red face with pride, girlie! xx
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    go earlier.

    you know who my friends at the gym are? these two girls that are there every morning, without make up on, getting their work out in, red faced, sweaty, and dressed in regular work out clothes. and by regular work out clothes i mean work out clothes that aren't designer and labeled up and matching and looking like they spent more time on their outfit then their work out.
  • alladream
    alladream Posts: 261 Member
    I only read some of the replies, but if it matters that much, there are primers and facial foundation that are green to reduce the redness of skin. They work fine, if you are into makeup, but then won't you maybe sweat it off somewhat? I get superred, because i am superwhite to start with, and it just happens. If I am onstage and don't want to look completely red, I would try that, even though I am not a makeup person ordinarily.
  • Jersey_Devil
    Jersey_Devil Posts: 4,142 Member
    look- this guy doesnt even notice the guy behind him with the red face.

    insidious_red_face.gif
  • zytah
    zytah Posts: 153
    my face goes red when I workout/get my blood going and I get asked about it ALL.THE.TIME... I have a vertical port wine stain smack in the middle of my forehead from hairline to my nose that shows up when im working out or get rather emotional. it looks like like someone violently took an axe to my forehead. makeup wont cover since its such a deep purple and it melts off anyways. :ohwell:
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    I see people with that at the gym all the time though, and really don't think twice about it...they're just working hard!

    Also, that used to happen to me when I first started and was quite a bit heavier...but it went away when I lost weight and got in better shape. Keep it up, and maybe yours will go away too.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    No one looks worse than me after working hard. Worst pic ever but it might make you feel better. :)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I like that you choose one face pic to put on MFP, and it's the worst picture you could find :laugh:
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    jonny, you haven't looked at my profile pics lately. I have my swollen, sunburnt face in there. :P
  • coco3382458
    coco3382458 Posts: 296 Member
    My face gets sooooooooo red when I work out too. Glad its not just me. When I am in a class and i look around at everyone else at the end of the class I am the only one with a crazy red face!! I asked my instructor why this happens and she said it is just blood circulating. Although I would rather not be red while working out I am not going to let it stop me because I do not think there is anything that will change this. Just know you are not the only red face out there :happy:
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    jonny, you haven't looked at my profile pics lately. I have my swollen, sunburnt face in there. :P

    Wearing sunglasses the size of dinner plates! But your hair looks fab.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Jonny! I can't find any worse! Pfft. I need no post production or beautifying apps. I snap, I post. You know that.
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,080 Member
    I am a classic beetroot face. Like someone said earlier, unfit I turn bright red, fit I still turn bright red...and when doing really hard stuff I go red all over (legs, arms, etc), it is my complexion and nowt I can do about it. I also sweat buckets, nowt I can do about that either. I actually don't give two hoots what others think, how hard I am working and what I am doing is all I concentrate on.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    No one looks worse than me after working hard. Worst pic ever but it might make you feel better. :)

    I could give you a run for your money. I should have taken one after crossfit today.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Jonny, you keep weighing 140 something. I will take you down. Kiss!
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    When I was a teenager this is why I didn't participate in sports. I knew i would not look good, running would mess up my hair and make me sweaty...I'm grown now and if a person does not like how I look then they don't have to look.

    This brings to mind another storey, my nephew was overweight as a kid (still is, but that's not the storey). Every time he & my kids would be racing around and playing, his face would turn red - my sister-in-law would make him sit down because he was "getting overheated" and this is why he was (is) chubby.

    I don't worry about a red face in the gym too much, I worry about my health and know the red face is a healthy glow!
  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
    I get a red face when I workout, bike or even walk outside on a hot day. At the gym, I just own it!

    Look how red & sweaty I am! I AM A BEAST! I'M STRONG AS HELL & WORKOUT HARD! I'd rather be red & sweaty than all full of makeup without 1 bead of sweat. From what I hear, being completely dolled up & trying to get attention is sort of frowned upon by other gym goers. I don't really care, but some seem to.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    No one cares!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    No one cares!

    I forgot what thread I clicked on. I just saw this post and thought "how rude!" :laugh:
  • eggyeaster13
    eggyeaster13 Posts: 20 Member
    I too go really red when working out, I'm not amazingly fit but for as long as I can remember fit or unfit I have always turned red during workouts. I have been told its the blood vessels coming to the surface to help dissipate heat, and because I sweat a lot when working out too this seems to be the cause. I was also told to only worry about turning red if I wasn't sweating at all or had other worrying symptoms like dizziness etc.

    I don't like turning red but if thats what my body does to keep my temperature within safe ranges then thats fine by me, as others have said I don't think the majority of people pay attention. I don't mind being asked if I'm ok by people because it just shows they care that I'm ok!
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    No one cares!

    I forgot what thread I clicked on. I just saw this post and thought "how rude!" :laugh:

    Haha I just meant no one will notice/ talk smack about her red face.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I went running in the obscene heat- then did sprints..> I walked back in and people though I was going to die.

    And I work out DAMN hard when I'm lifting/interval training.. it is what it is... but that was the absoulute WORST it had been- it was hysterical.

    Oh well.

    Deal with it. Move on- keep working. There isn't much else you can do except dial down your work out- or keep a cool towel/water bottle on you to help cool your skin/blood as it moves around.
  • BethanBee86
    BethanBee86 Posts: 71 Member
    Thanks again everyone for replies .

    Tonight I bit the bullet and went all out at the gym :smile: Before I entered gym I could feel butterflies of nerves but about 5 min into first workout and with my headphones in I got less self conscious . At one point I knew I was as red as a tomato but I had such a buzz from the work out I didn't care .

    I know doing this tonight is something small but I know on those days where I would be looking for excuses not to go to gym this would be the big reason !

    So I am proud to be a tomato girl of the gym lol
  • StrongLife
    StrongLife Posts: 525 Member
    I have the same thing but I'm a guy so I simply don't care what others think. However, I am observant and I notice that the color of the workout clothes people are wearing can hide it or really accentuate it. Maybe try finding some clothes that offset/hide the red, Find a fashion expert or the web could give some good combinations. Duller shades is the first place to start. That's my two cents.
  • Tasha_Fat2Fit
    Tasha_Fat2Fit Posts: 49
    First of all, I don't care what anyone else at the gym looks like but if I was to pay attention and see someone with a red face, I'd think "Man, she must be working out so much harder than I am". So don't worry about it! Keep up the good work :happy:
  • rachseby
    rachseby Posts: 285 Member
    I am like this and for a lot of years didn't work out the way I should have. Don't let it worry you--it's more important to get a good workout, and frankly I think that people who look perfect, especially women who have makeup on, look silly anyway! (And before anyone gets mad, I used to be one of those!) :wink:
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    My facial redness is a thing of pride with me. I worked my butt off to get that red and I hope everyone else around me sees it.

    Same with my sweat soaked shirt or the hat with the salt/mineral stains that build up between each washing.

    Revel in the awesomeness of my intense workout!!

    :)

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