Here's my Issue, it's pretty lame

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  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    I am just not a gym person I haven't gone to a gym in years! I actually decided I'd rather buy an elliptical then spend money year after year going to the gym. So I use the elliptical at home and also have a yoga ball and dumbbells and do Pilates and Yoga at home with DVD's. Besides that if I am going to walk, run or ride a bike I'd rather do it outside anyway. I just try to mix up what I do every now and then and I think I get as good of a work out as if I went to the gym.
  • JessJoJell
    JessJoJell Posts: 46
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    I can say that I have this issue to. I can not get a good workout at the gym cause Im to paranoid about what everyone around me is doing. Ihave just started working out at home with DVDs and a used treadmill I bought. You can burn just as many calories if not more at home. Good luck!
  • monkeybelle83
    monkeybelle83 Posts: 141 Member
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    I am just not a gym person I haven't gone to a gym in years! I actually decided I'd rather buy an elliptical then spend money year after year going to the gym. So I use the elliptical at home and also have a yoga ball and dumbbells and do Pilates and Yoga at home with DVD's. Besides that if I am going to walk, run or ride a bike I'd rather do it outside anyway. I just try to mix up what I do every now and then and I think I get as good of a work out as if I went to the gym.

    I tried that, but then I never managed to use the thing. For me paying out the *kitten* for the gym membership is what makes me get off my butt and go, I did spend the money on it after all. Just gotta get into the habit of going every day, 3 weeks to make a habit right? ;-)
  • strapple
    strapple Posts: 353 Member
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    i absolutely hate going to the gym for the same reason

    try getting some workout videos and doing them. i just started the 30 day shred but im sure there are better ones for you.

    you could also get into a sport, tennis anyone?

    try going on more hikes and walks
  • kellykat2
    kellykat2 Posts: 87 Member
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    I know what you mean! I do better at a ladies only gym. In a mixed gym I feel inadequate, like the body builders (my husband is one of them) are critiquing my form, etc. I belonged to a ladies only gym, I loved it, went every single day for 2 hours (plus they had tanning beds and child care!) But they went out of business. Bummer. I cannot find another ladies only gym in my area. There is a Fitness USA by my house, but they alternate days for men and women, I don't like that either! I need child care, so I belong to the YMCA. I started going there, dropping my daughter off in the day care area, and then would hit a class. The classes are fun, I would always start out in the back. As the session went on, I ended up in the front.

    Upstairs in the gym is another story. I don't like the work out with the machines and weights in front of the men pumping iron! I am so self conscious of that! So I don't, which makes me mad at myself, I should be able to! I use my own weights at home. I only use the track or the cardio machines.

    I feel better knowing there are others out there just like me! So I guess there probably are more at the gym just like us too! Maybe we just need to bite the bullet and just go and sooner or later it will feel comfortable to us. We are entitled to the gym too!
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
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    Just chiming in on the "you're not lame and you're not alone on this." There are so many good solutions listed already, I just wanted to say I know how you feel. Social situations make me nervous too and gyms just freak me out. BUT - you can exercise and you can get past it. if you really want to work out in a gym try looking around at different ones. Gyms are like clubs - they all have different cultures and attitudes. If you don't want to use a gym at all you could try at home DVDs borrowed from the library, Wii Fit, and jogging around the neighborhood. I jog outside in the evening and I love the freedom of running alone. It feels so private, yet I'm not isolated in a scary way.
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    I am just not a gym person I haven't gone to a gym in years! I actually decided I'd rather buy an elliptical then spend money year after year going to the gym. So I use the elliptical at home and also have a yoga ball and dumbbells and do Pilates and Yoga at home with DVD's. Besides that if I am going to walk, run or ride a bike I'd rather do it outside anyway. I just try to mix up what I do every now and then and I think I get as good of a work out as if I went to the gym.

    I tried that, but then I never managed to use the thing. For me paying out the *kitten* for the gym membership is what makes me get off my butt and go, I did spend the money on it after all. Just gotta get into the habit of going every day, 3 weeks to make a habit right? ;-)

    My elliptical is in my living room , classy right? But I have gotten to the point that having it there and not using it makes me feel guilty :-) I also signed up for a 5K on the 4th of July and spent money on the registration that I couldn't really afford, so that is what tends to keep me going because I spent the money so I better be able to do it (and not finish last) by then. Different things motivate different people, but at least we are making positive changes!!!
  • Nansea
    Nansea Posts: 1
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    Try working out with a trainer. I know that they cost extra but their encouragement and knowledge will help you.
  • olyrose
    olyrose Posts: 569 Member
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    Feel the same way! My gym (Bally's) has a women's only room that is smaller and less crowded than the regular gym. I love going into it because I figure if they're in there instead of the regular part, they want that privacy and non-judgment too. maybe try to find a gym that has something like that?
  • chnkydnknmomma
    chnkydnknmomma Posts: 258
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    I don't know what gym you go to, but I joined SpaLady. For the longest time, I refused to join a gym, mostly cause I was embarassed of my size/shape/general non-atheletic self. My friend convinced me to check it out, and now I absolutely love it. It is women only, and there are women there of all different shapes, sizes, colors and abilities. From day 1 I felt very comfortable, it's a very small gym and everyone says hi and chit chats, etc...This coming Wednesday, I go in for my weight/measurements to see how much progress I've made. I have definitely lost weight, and I'm excited to see how much!

    Like the Nike ads say, Just Do It...in the long run, it will be worth it!
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
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    I used to be like that, totally self-conscious at the gym. What if I got on a machine and couldn't hack it? How could I compete with the guys for weights?

    Then I became the home DVD queen. I did:
    30 day shred (Jillian M.)
    cardio kickboxing (Jillian M.)
    banish fat boost metabolism (Jillian M.)
    no more trouble zones (Jillian M)
    Insanity (beachbody)
    p90X (beachbody)
    Brazilian butt lift (beachbody)
    Turbofire (beachbody)
    and a couple of Firm DVDs I didn't like as much

    somewhere along the way I wanted to do my own HIIT and stuff, so I ventured to my apartment gym. Now I rotate the elliptical, spinning, the treadmill, and heavy lifting with the DVDs above (hint, hint, I am recommending them to you). These programs gave me the confidence (or maybe just the passion?) to go to the gym and be about my own business. :wink:
  • hungrybears
    hungrybears Posts: 3
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    I had the exact same issue when I first started going. I found that starting with cardio machines only was what got me comfortable enough to branch out to other areas of the gym. For one thing, you spend a lot of time in one spot, so you kind of dig in. In particular, ones with headphones and TV screens help you tune the rest of the world out! Also, I get so caught up in just trying to breathe right that there isn't time to think about what I look like. Hope that helps!
  • maeadair
    maeadair Posts: 496 Member
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    Being an 'overweight' female I too am self conscious about working out in a gym. Tried it a few yrs back and realized a gym was not for me. I do DVD's at home. Love:The Firm Girls...Leslie Sansone walking discs ( I have 3 of hers) ....Biggest loser/Jumpstart ....Richard Simmons ( I love dancing) .... and I have put together my own programs from clips (free) on line, ones using 1) stability ball, 2) hand weights, 3) water ball, 4) mat work. I also have an exercise bike and Gazelle (yard sale specials). First thing upon waking I go pee, get my water (water out/water in ...lol) start with a program ( I rotate what I do) shower after then have breakfast( with good protein hopefully). This works for me. I also walk outdoors when weather permits. Good luck finding your comfort zone, but do find it and good luck. :-) Mae
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
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    You get used to it.
    I felt akward for a week or two.
    Then I kept making myself go back, and now its like a second home.
  • Anathema13
    Anathema13 Posts: 27
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    The more comfortable you feel in your own skin the more comfortable you'll feel there too. But honestly, if the people at the gym are worried about anything at all, it's about themselves. It will get easier. Keep going back.
  • JellyPrz619
    JellyPrz619 Posts: 172
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    I read somewhere that weight loss is like 70 % what you eat and 30% exercise. so make sure you are watching what you eat and maybe cancel the membership buy some workout DVDs for now?
  • mrk34
    mrk34 Posts: 227 Member
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    Weight loss can be achieved without exercise. I injured my knee and could not exercise, but was happy to see that I kept losing weight. I researched this issue and found out that what was happening to me was nothing unusual. Being active and exercise is great for our health but in terms of pounds, exercise contributes a little towards weight-loss.

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