Embarrassed to exercise at home.
Replies
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I might start by having a talk with them about it. Tell them you want to start exercising at home, but you're aware that you'll have to use shared space, like the living room, and you want to figure out how best to go about it in a way that won't disturb everyone. They might have some suggestions, or you might be able to come to an agreement where they can go and do something as a family for an hour and you can exercise.
That's where I'd start, at least.0 -
Heya guys! First time poster. I am 18 years old, and I find it awkward to exercise at home. I almost finished the 30 day squat challenge and did some other leg and arm exercises. Those are fine for me. But I managed to get my hands on the insanity DVD which seems amazing, and the before and after pictures seem so inspiring. The problem is, I live with my sister who is overweight, her husband, and her two children. My bedroom happens to be on the second floor, and each time I jump, or even walk heavier, the whole house shakes and everybody can hear everything. The day before yesterday my sister was in work, so her husband was at home downstairs in the living room. I knew that he might hear but I did the Insanity fit test. i was starting it and doing the jumps or whatever. Later my nephew comes up and asks 'Umm... My dad was wondering..what are you doing?' and I felt awkward and told him I'm exercising. And he asked me if he can do it with me. So I said sure, but I just felt so shy that his dad is downstairs listening to me doing something. My sister also has a treadmill, I'd like to use it, but again I'm too shy. It is in the living room so everybody is always there. I am too shy to do it there. I take my walks which are around 2 miles each day. It takes me around 40minutes walking. But I want to do the insanity so bad, but that stupid floor is so thin you hear everything. I couldn't do much when they aren't home. Sisters husband is home a lot during the day as he works at night at the end of the week. I have no idea what to do. Running outside is out of the question as I'm too shy, and gyms here are too expensive and you have to already buy 6 month memberships which I can't afford.
Help!
Oh girl, I feel your pain. I'm embarrassed to work out in front of my husband. My gear is in the basement, but he's down there a lot. I have fitness games for the Kinect that are upstairs, but then I'm in front of anyone that is here or my husband. You'd think that wouldn't be an issue. I need to ask him to do it with me so I'm not mortified. You might try the same. If your sister is overweight also, why don't you ask her to workout with you downstairs? Get her hubby to take the kiddos out while you two exercise. That way sis would be involved (since she is overweight too) and hubby/kids are out. Just a thought.
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Love it!0
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Put some kind of carpet on the floor, that will soften the noise from your feet. It has to be a kind of carpet that is non slip and big enough to cover your exercise area.0
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This is going to "write" a bit harsh, but understand it's NOT meant that way... I see a whole list of excuses in this... You have justified yourself out of doing this......Almost.... Now to turn it around, my question is... How bad do you want this?? Get back to me, and see how shy you really are?? I am extremely self conscious about my workouts which is why I do most at home, ( With the blinds closed) I Believe in You!! #NoExcuses Let's go! (and friend me if you like) Lee
This!
Lee, I like you! May I friend you as well?0 -
I like this idea. And also discuss when's good or not good to do it. Knowing it's going to be loud, because you are going to put in effort. It's a mental block you have to get over, so you can have this opportunity. I have my TV in the living room and an open floor concept house. So when my 10-12 yr old (I've been doing this a while) would bring over friends either I had to not work out or do it with them in the house. Talk about a mental block. preteens watching while I flail around and sweat! I did it anyway. The friends liked to look and the daughter was embarrassed, but all in all they admire it, really. It's a good role model. In fact some of the friends were all amazed that a PARENT would exercise at all. That's totally the wrong idea to grow up with! So I fixed it in my mind that i'm doing it for me, and it's good for them to see me (older chubby adult) trying to improve myself. Occasionally i'd hear, after the giggles, "she's good at that" or something similar. Keep going like no one's watching. Be proud of your efforts. Others might just feel like they ought to be doing it too, if you can, they maybe can.Explain to the family what you're doing and make your nephew your workout buddy.0 -
I might start by having a talk with them about it. Tell them you want to start exercising at home, but you're aware that you'll have to use shared space, like the living room, and you want to figure out how best to go about it in a way that won't disturb everyone. They might have some suggestions, or you might be able to come to an agreement where they can go and do something as a family for an hour and you can exercise.
That's where I'd start, at least.
Talking to your family, and making your nephew your workout buddy sounds perfect. What you're doing is awesome. Don't let feeling shy make you less awesome.0 -
I did insanity and wanted to keep doing it... my wife banned me from doing it in the house! she offered the back yard! I was shy about it too let everyone know how important it is you only need an hour a day. it is a great program!0
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has the house a garage? if not add another walk in or wait till they go out or do different exercises lunges ect and no jumping ones!
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Stop being shy. Just do it. B you may inspire them to join you. with that said, look for a local park to work out in.0
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Heya guys! A little update! I have just done the day 1 of the insanity! Didn't do it 100% fully as I was worn out at the end, but I'm happy you all are pushing me! I really need it!
xoxo
Well done. Keep on pushing play :flowerforyou:0 -
Just get over it.
Put music in and go
Ain't nobody payin attention
This.
I found being overweight far more embarrassing than exercising.0 -
I think you just eventually have to convince yourself that maybe 30 minutes of embarrassment is worth how your body will look in the end.
I live in a shared flat and I just started doing 30 day shred again this week. Every time I finish my friend asks if someone is having sex in the flat.... That would be me jumping around in my room. It's embarrassing, but it's my room and I can do what I like in it, as long it's not 3am in the morning or something0 -
There's gotta be a way you can move it to the basement. laptop? And do it when people are asleep. I get it--hated being walked in on when I'm exercising. I know lots of people like that, but figure it out. It's worth it.0
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At the risk of sounding blunt as hell the simple fact is that if you want to do this you need to get over your issues with it and decide to do it.
Nobody here will be able to magic you a thicker floor or a soundproof bedroom.... you just have to decide if being fit and healthy is worth a bit of mental discomfort.
Personally I have an anxiety disorder which means that any situation I'm not too keen on makes me more nervous than your average person. The idea of running outside was positively panic attack inducing. I now run out on trails 3/4 times a week. I decided what I wanted and I worked towards that.
Initially I would run at ridiculous times in the middle of no where in order for people not to see me...I now run whenever I fancy, wherever I fancy.
If you want to achieve your goals you need to be prepared to push past your anxieties. In order to get anywhere you need to be determined to make the journey.
This!!!!!! Get over it and think about what you want more. Personally i would ask your sisters husband if he minds you using the living room for half an hour, i am sure he ciuld find something to do whilst your doing this!!0 -
What about joining a gym? There are a lot of gyms open 24/7 and you can go at any time. At certain hours there is almost NO ONE in the gym. Gyms also have workout classes & trust me, EVERYONE in the class is too busy gasping for air & focusing on their coordination to look around at what other people are doing. I've taken kickboxing, Crossfit, Metabolic Resistance training, jiu jitsu & no one has the luxury to stand around & stare or judge. Everyone is in it together! Everyone's sweaty, panting & has a red face. It's also quite motivational to be in a class. To see fit people, see people the same size as you, try to keep up or get tips from a trainer.0
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Try using the treadmill at a time of day when nobody is in the living room, like the early morning, when all are too busy and distracted to pay attention to you, or asleep. Using the treadmill is great when the weather outside is bad. Keep in mind that even a 20 minute stint is worth it, and seize the opportunity!
As for the thumping in your bedroom, just go for what it is that you want to do. Once everybody is used to it, it won't be an issue.0 -
"If you give a *kitten* of what people think you're not going to get anywhere."0
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What about joining a gym? There are a lot of gyms open 24/7 and you can go at any time. At certain hours there is almost NO ONE in the gym.
She said she can't afford a gym right now. Maybe a super-cheap, no-frills gym will open near her some day.0 -
I have the same issue, I live in a house that is over a hundred years old, and is very weak. Plus 6 people live in this 4 bedroom Victorian. My husband and I, my younger brother and his girlfriend, and both of my parents, plus 7 cats and a rabbit. So its a bit crowded and if I run, jump, or even walk heavier upstairs, my mom will yell and complain. I can't afford a gym either, and I have no car to drive to the free zumba class I was attending at a local church. I am about 3/4 of a mile away from a local high school. I walk to its track, walk/jog the track, and then walk/run the bleachers, then walk back home. That is my workout and its really my only option right now.0
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I am so proud of you for what you are trying to do. Tell everyone you are trying to add some muscles and get in better shape and hope they do not have trouble with the noise. Ask if there is a better time for you to try to do it each day. Then set you timer on your phone and go for it with no expectations from downstairs. Just secretly, and on here, keep it up. You are a winner at heart for trying all this. Stick to it and become a coach and mentor for other in a few months. It's hard to do all this in hiding. If you can pull it off, then you can be a new kind of mentor to others who are trying to do the same thing. Also, If you have transportation, see about the free fitness groups in your county's parks and recreation program. Also, tell you closest gym what you are trying to do. Tell them to see if there are any mentors who might sponsor you if you can do xyz (lose 10 pounds or walk 3 miles a day for 30 days, etc.) - maybe a free memberhsip for 30 days at a time if you do such and such. If they have no such program, ask them to put up a poster and sponsor such a program. Go to several gyms until one says, OK, they will try it!0
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I used to be embarrassed to workout. We had a gym at my apartment complex and I used to only go there if it was empty. Eventually I got used to working out and now I wish I had more friends that worked out so I could have a buddy! I'm not embarrassed to run outside anymore either. I think you just have to get used to it. Try taking a class, I go to zumba sometimes and its fun to workout in a group. It can actually build your confidence because you see other people who are less fit than you working out, so you think "If they can do it, so can I!"0
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I totally understand this. I did the 30DS last year, but stopped because my live-in boyfriend was home too often (we were both in grad school at the time--lots of at-home work). I did 30DS a few times when my boyfriend was at school, but the workout was honestly really hard for me and I quit. Now that I've been in the gym for about a year lifting weights, I feel like I finally have the endurance and the motivation for 30DS. However, my boyfriend is now finished with his coursework and working on studying for comps and eventually writing his dissertation, so he's ALWAYS HOME. I feel you. It's totally awkward. My advice is to ask the family if they mind the noise and if not, just suck it up and do the workout. At least you're on the second floor; my living room is right outside my boyfriend's office!
Good luck! 0 -
I understan anxiety issues, I have suffered with them my whole life. But the only thing that can make it change is YOU. I would talk to the family about it and work up a plan of sorts, maybe everyone could take shifts 'in' the living room and you can have you 1 hour shift do to you video. 1 hour is not a long time to ask people to do something in their own rooms or outside
I do this! I live with my mum, her partner, my fiancé and my sister! I ask my family if I can have the luving room for half an hour to do zumba or 30 day shred! they really don't mind!!! just ask and see what happens! they can only say no - which I doubt will happen!!0 -
I felt too embarrassed at first but I eventually got over it. (I have anxiety issues too) I felt I was setting a good example for everyone living with me. I jump and jiggle and sweat and don't care.
That is not much help to you now but you may eventually not care who sees you.
Do you have a laptop that can play DVD's? You could go anywhere with that. I tried the basement in my home. Maybe they have a garage you can try? It would be hot but you could go there at night or early morning.
I like the jogging/running idea. That can burn a lot of calories for you.
Good Luck!!0 -
I feel the same way at times. Although my situation is a bit different. I live in an upstairs apt so doing anything extreme would cause distrupstion. Even when my son runs from one room to the other i feel bad for causing noise for the people downstairs. However, i think maybe if you get some one on one time with your sister and maybe ask her what would be a good time to "make some noise" without causing any disruppstion downstairs and avoiding anyone interrupting you. Maybe mentioning that her son was interested in excersising too may lead into your whole family getting together to do it. Make it out to be an offer rather than a suggestion. Hope my bit of insights help you along your journey. Good Luck!0
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Learn to laugh at yourself.
I was jogging yesterday and tripped right when a goood lookin' man glanced over at me.
I cracked up.
What else can you do? lol0 -
One way to not feel foolish is to do it with someone. Ask your sister if she wants to do it with you. You said she's overweight... maybe she feels the same way. That she wants to get in better shape, but is embarrassed.
I used to feel really self-conscious about running outside, mostly because I didn't want anyone to see me "fail" (ie, stop running). Then when I started Couch to 5K, and realized that many people do interval training... how would anyone know the difference between me failing to run, and stopping on purpose? No one knows what my training plan is. They don't know if I just ran for 30 seconds or 30 minutes. Moreover... they don't care. They're not paying attention to me. I'm no more interesting to them than a dead woodchuck on the side of the road. :laugh:
I realized I completely lost those inhibitions when I was doing the Zombies Run 5K app, and one of the exercises included 15 seconds of skipping. Yeah, like "tra la la la la" skipping like a little girl. And when the narrator told me to skip, I skipped. In front of a construction site. I had my earbuds in, my sunglasses on, and I didn't pay any attention to whether or not they were paying any attention to me. And skipping is fun!
I love this!! I need to find this app. :laugh:0 -
Heya guys! First time poster. I am 18 years old, and I find it awkward to exercise at home. I almost finished the 30 day squat challenge and did some other leg and arm exercises. Those are fine for me. But I managed to get my hands on the insanity DVD which seems amazing, and the before and after pictures seem so inspiring. The problem is, I live with my sister who is overweight, her husband, and her two children. My bedroom happens to be on the second floor, and each time I jump, or even walk heavier, the whole house shakes and everybody can hear everything. The day before yesterday my sister was in work, so her husband was at home downstairs in the living room. I knew that he might hear but I did the Insanity fit test. i was starting it and doing the jumps or whatever. Later my nephew comes up and asks 'Umm... My dad was wondering..what are you doing?' and I felt awkward and told him I'm exercising. And he asked me if he can do it with me. So I said sure, but I just felt so shy that his dad is downstairs listening to me doing something. My sister also has a treadmill, I'd like to use it, but again I'm too shy. It is in the living room so everybody is always there. I am too shy to do it there. I take my walks which are around 2 miles each day. It takes me around 40minutes walking. But I want to do the insanity so bad, but that stupid floor is so thin you hear everything. I couldn't do much when they aren't home. Sisters husband is home a lot during the day as he works at night at the end of the week. I have no idea what to do. Running outside is out of the question as I'm too shy, and gyms here are too expensive and you have to already buy 6 month memberships which I can't afford.
Help!
Maybe if you invite a friend over to workout with you it won't be as awkward. Or you're sister, or her kids or whoever(:0 -
You have lots of alternatives... find a low-impact work-out. Or try yoga or tai chi. Or a work-out buddy. Or join a gym. Or a set-up in the basement.
You can totally do this! And some things are worth being embarrassed about. I'd be nervous about shaking the whole house too. But some things aren't. Being on a treadmill shouldn't be embarrassing.
You could also talk with your sister about making this something you guys do together.
LOTS of options. You can totally find a way to exercise and work toward your goals.0
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