Being Self Conscious whilst Exercising

I dont want anyone to just sit there and watch me do it that is awkward. I have found at the gym nobody is paying attention to anyone else at least not in my observation. only the people that have arrived there together. You should try doing some stuff with your kids around they might join in and then it becomes a fun family activity. When i lived home with my mom and nephew for a while he would really like to do a walking dvd with me or we would pull out soup cans until we got him his own little dumbells and he would just rave about how he was getting strong and healthy. I dont love how i look when i work out my face gets beet red and I sweat horribly, but i'm trying to remind myself it is for a greater good. Best of luck.

After you break the ice and get used to doing your own thing, you gain self confidence and realize it doesn't matter what others think.

I still find myself pulling down my shirt, trying to cover myself more when i am working out. Trying to hide the hanging skin from my "Chicken Wing:" I have to remind myself that i am in the gym donig something about all the excess weight and everyone else is there to work on themselves too, they don't care what i look like and if they do...it is none of their business.
I have a really supportive group of trainers and group class instructors at my gym that have helped boost my confidence! Surrounding yourself with people who build you up for the hard work you are putting in will help a lot!

at the gym i dont care (unless im doing yoga, and thats mainly because theres not a direction i can bend without pointing my *kitten* at someone.) but at home i have to confine hubs to another room while i zumba or whatever. he likes to go in and watch and be silly. hes not making fun of me, but it still makes me self conscious to an uncomfortable degree. mostly because i do care what he thinks.

No, I do not feel awkward or self-conscious when I exercise. Put your mind and thoughts on other things or listen to some music until the feeling passes.

Maybe I'm a pollyanna person, but at the gym I only notice people being awesome. Like there's an 82 year old woman who's in there all the time getting her fit on and being friendly and sweet. Other than that, you have to be pretty extraordinary to get me to notice you negatively. You know? There's music and TVs and we're just trying to sweat and make ourselves better. Push past the awkward feelings! You wont regret it.

I'm the same as the OP. One of the biggest things I have to overcome is my fear of people seeing me working out. I am actually ok with going to the gym now (after years of not being ok), but can only go by myself and hate going with people I know. It's like I'm better with strangers than people who know me, if I see someone I recognise I will leave immediately. I also wait for everyone to go to bed or leave the house before I exercise at home. It is annoying as it restricts the time I can exercise. I don't actually know why I feel this way as everyone in my house is supportive and wouldn't judge me at all but I still feel horrendously self conscious. I know it's something I need to get over and am trying to work on it.

I feel self conscious because I don't know how to work all the machines and I feel like an idiot for asking someone like they will judge me and think "fatty mcfatstuff doesn't know how to exercise...haha!" I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like I don't "look" like I "belong" in a gym and in that I feel like people think "what is that fatty doing in here, she know she need to be in Mcdonalds stuffing her chunky fat face"...It's discouraging but I press on and I learned to gym stalk...lol...Like basically, if someone is doing something that I want to try, I just follow them around and get a strategic position so I can watch them do it in the mirror then, after they leave, I try and do whatever it is that they were doing. Sometimes it works out and sometimes I end up having to break down and ask for help. Most people are nicer than I imagine so I think that all the negativity is self imposed. I am trying to work past it.

im only doing treadmill work at the moment as I don't feel ready to hit the streets until I slim down some.

Naw, I don't care who sees. I look no different from any other person in there sweating on the machines.

I got over long ago the self consciousness of working out in public. Joining a running group, or going on a group bike ride very quickly separates the fast from the slow, and you just come to accept what your current skill level is. The only thing I ever notice in a gym are the times when I see a person sitting on a machine I am waiting for texting or talking...other than that I am oblivious to what others are doing in their routines.

I used to be self conscious in the gym cos I lift small weights - but now I strut round the gym like I own the place.. not nervous or anything - everyone is there for the same purpose and no one cares what you're up to:) ❤️❤️

I totally understand, I feel so weird exercising by myself! That's why I love running with my dog, he's so pretty so everyone stares at him and pays no attention to me instead 😂

omg yes!

not while running or swimming or hiking or yoga or whatever, but in a weight room? totally. always. even though i'm not new to weight training.

i just always feel like a newb & that everyone knows, no matter what. dunno why.