Are you self conscious working out in public?

same for me i just started letting my boy friend watch

I love having friends to work out with and Im usually too busy enjoying myself to worry about what anyone else in the gym thinks.

If you feel someone is judging you while your working out... arch one eyebrow up, give them a 2 second hard stare, and beam the words "BITE ME" at them really hard. Then move on with your workout.

Seriously though...they're probably thinking the same thing about you..OMG, that fantastic looking person over there is judging me. We're only bit players in everyone else's internal dialog.

Definitely! I always think I look awkward at the gym, especially on the treadmill. I don't workout in front of my fiance either...

Fortunately I go to the gym early in the morning when a handful of people are there.

When I am at the gym, lifting weights or out walking I have no problem being out these things. BUT for over 20 years, the ONLY time I would run was during the night/dark time or run on my treadmill. I didn't want anyone to see me running....I have no idea why....but anything else I don't care about.

Nope, in fact today I did circuits at the park. I like being outside and if other people are out there I highly doubt they are even thinking about what I am doing. And at the gym, everyone is there getting their sweat on so I definitely don't worry about judgment there.

I was and still am, i got tricked into working out outside my gym, i say tricked i think shock therapy with my PT. The conversation went like this;

PT how you doing then enjoying the weather
Me yeah absolutely it's gorgeous out
PT i know, far too nice to be stuck working out in the gym
Me yeah tell me about it
PT glad you agree, grab that VPR we're working out outside today
Me yeah, wait,what?!

I then worked out on the steps of the GMEX building in the city centre of Manchester - i think i sweated more out of anxiety than anything but i did it, it was awkward at first with people milling about in suits n noticing the odd look, but by the end i felt brilliant and had a great sense of achievement.

Its never as bad as you think it'll be

I used to be that way.. But honestly.... No one is paying any attention to you.... they are there doing the same thing you are doing.. Working out...

Now I will workout anywhere and with anyone around.... But I still have public speaking issues.. go figure.. LMAO

Just remember they are feeling the same way. I do go to a women's only gym because I am not as comfortable as I would like to be in those situations. I keep think the smaller I get the more I will but doubt it. I sweat horribly and look like crap when I am done so still would feel like I was making a scene of myself.

I just go in, find my machine and get to it. Then I wash up a bit and leave. I am not there to make friends so no need to hang around. I just want to be healthy so I know to do that I have to go because I can not afford it the machines at home.

I am not as uncomfortable walking outside anymore. It would be better if I had a dog or something so people driving by don't feel sorry for the fat girl out walking because she has to but again, I do it for my health so I suck it up and deal. I feel loads better then when I started exercising 3 months ago so not willing to go back to couch potato life. 5k a day no matter what.

I can only tell you my thought process. I am more concerned with what I'm doing than what anyone else is doing. The only exception to that is if someone is doing something really awesome close by. That happens very infrequently but the day the guy starts knocking out pull ups in the L position while wearing a USMC t-shirt comes to mind! lol Other than that most people are too caught up in their own thing, especially in the gym, to care that much about what you are doing.

I feel more self conscious at the gym than I do outside. I really don't care what anyone thinks of me outside for some reason. The gym I used to go to was mostly older people, so I didn't care as much, but the new gym I am at is a lot of younger people/college people. I am finally getting to the point in my life though where I really don't care what other people think if me. I figure, at least I am trying. I may be overweight, and huffing and puffing while running, but at least I am doing it and not sitting at home on the couch.

eta - I would much rather work out around stangers than people I know though. I generally work out alone and would feel weird doing it with friends I haven't worked out with before.

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they look at me, but I wonder that in general. It's never stopped me from working out in public. I run outside every day and the area I run through has a couple of really busy streets (but they have the nice, new, huge sidewalks next to them), but most people are just driving to something or if they're out like me, they're biking, walking the dog, or running just like me and I can guarantee that they're all lost in their own thoughts and their headphones just the same. Once I got into my own groove and quit thinking about other people the idea of being self conscious working out in public seems rather unfounded.

At first. But then I got over it and continued to tell myself that we're all there for the same reason: To exercise. (Well, most everyone. Occasionally there is a clique of kids who just come in to **** around on the equipment.)

i was just asked by a really pretty and thin co-worker if i wanted to go to the gym and workout with her. i'm really nervous. i know i'm older and much more out of shape. i'm pretty damn self conscious about it now.

I used to be but I've gotten over it. I still feel kind of silly sometimes like people are judging me or I'm afraid I'm doing something wrong and people are secretly making fun or me or something. Lol.

But you have to remember you are working out to improve yourself so no one else should even matter. At the gym, if someone is even paying that much attention to what you are doing, then that is more their problem than yours. If they focused that attention on themselves instead, they would get a lot more out of their time.