How To Be Confident In The Gym
Whether you’re beginning your fitness journey or you are currently an avid gym goer who has just lost their spark, staying confident in the gym can be a non-linear journey. Many different things can impact your confidence, but taking back control of your thoughts and behaviour is important if you are hoping to smash your workouts. If you’re looking for 5 ways to improve your life today, gaining the confidence to work out could be one of them.
Everyone is focused on themselves
One of the main factors that come into people’s minds when they are feeling insecure in the gym is the idea that everyone is watching them. It may pause you from performing certain workouts, or even stop the workout to the point where you give up and leave the premises. It is okay to feel overwhelmed and it is common to let your negative overthinking takeover, but in these situations, you need to come back to reality and realise everyone is at the gym for themselves. No one is focused on what you are doing. The only people that care might be the trainers worried if you are not performing workouts safely, or if there is a gym creep (which unfortunately sometimes there is) you have every right to ask a member of staff to remove them from the gym. Overrule the thoughts that people are watching, stick on a motivating playlist and be in your own motivated bubble to power through.
Get inspiration
A factor that comes into play when people aren’t feeling completely confident can be when they are inexperienced and feel lost when in the gym. Everyone starts the gym as a beginner, so you shouldn’t feel less worthy of being one. If you do have the income to spare, we would recommend training with a personal trainer. Often they will show you many different workout schedules to follow and also guide you on how to use the complicated machines. Perhaps this isn’t in your budget much like it isn’t for a lot of people, so I would suggest asking the members of staff in the gym to show you how to use the machines anyway. They are there to help you and they would rather spend some time showing you how to use them safely as opposed to calling an ambulance for an emergency injury! Also, a top tip I would also suggest is finding fitness influencers or YouTubers you deem as a body type you’d like to achieve, and watching their free content. There are so many available resources out there for workout plans that are perfect for any beginners who are needing to boost their experience and confidence. Often they post step-by-step videos and descriptions to help their users fully understand the content, therefore you might see them as virtual personal trainers for free!
Go when it is quiet first
We can completely understand the mental strain of entering a gym where you can not hear yourself think, every single machine is in use and you feel as though there’s no air to breathe. Going to the gym between the hours of 5 PM – 8 PM can feel like a war zone with the after-work rush and you may feel like you’re not making the most of your workouts. Early mornings are painful, and if you already have commitments this may be redundant, but going to work between the hours of 6 AM- 8 AM are ideal for the hassle and people-free workouts. You will find the odd gym rat but if you are looking to slowly build your gym habits, going in the morning is perfect. If you are lucky enough to have free time during the day, anytime before lunchtime or after lunch and before 5 PM will also be beneficial. If the buzz of a busy gym has knocked your confidence in any way, simply give the suggested times a go and see how much better you might feel with a bit of peace.
Being comfortable is key
Confidence can be internal, but it can also be external. Individuals who are beginning the gym with existing body confidence issues can easily feel negative about themselves and convince themselves they are not good enough by simply looking in the mirror. The power of a good gym outfit is largely underestimated. Dressing to impress yourself is the best feeling, especially in the gym. You do not have to be your desired weight or size to wear clothes you think are beautiful. Wearing an old tracksuit you got years ago is unlikely to make you feel like a gym boss. Investing in some comfy gym leggings , a cute top, and sporty trainers to sweat it out can be an investment in your confidence. Even if you are a beginner, why not look like an expert? Fake it till you make it, look like the gym-confident person you hope to be and it will reflect internally.
