Going to the gym can be a daunting prospect, especially if you’re either unfit or new to the gym environment. 

It can be intimidating because lots of people believe that gyms are full of BIG burly men, grunting, and acting like Alpha Male Chimps lol! With their tops off and shaved chests…

People also believe that it’s full of tanned, bikini body women – who look like cat walk models and pout more than Victoria Beckham! lol!

To make the intimidation factor worse…

It’s also full of machines which look like something out of a transformers movie!

Whilst the above can be true and is the case in very few situations, most of the time people really don’t need to worry about going into a gym. It’s really not that scary…

In this post I want to try and put you at ease and share some thoughts/tips to make you feel more comfortable about going to the gym…

#1 It’s Normal To Be Nervous…

I’ve been training in a gym environment for over 12 years and whenever I go to a new gym I still get slightly nervous. What are the people going to be like? Will the machines be good? Where is everything? It’s like being on the first day at school, trying to find out where everything is.

It’s ABSOLUTELY FINE to be nervous. Anything new sparks nerves in lots of people, for example when going to a job interview are you nervous? 

Most people are, and that’s totally normal. 

One thing you can do to put yourself at ease is except that being nervous is ok. Try to recognise this and take some deep breathes before going in to the gym. 

#2 What Happens If You Don’t Go?

Another way to motivate yourself to go to the gym is to think about the consequences if you don’t go!

For example although going to the gym may be scary to start with, what’s more scary walking through some doors into the gym or facing the following…

• Diabetes 
• Heart Disease
• Low Self esteem 
• Dying Young 
• Not having enough energy to play with your kids 

Focus on the negatives if you don’t go to the gym.

I can 100% guarantee that it’s all mainly in your head, once you go and do a couple of sessions you’ll realise that it’s no way near as bad as you thought! In fact quite the opposite…you’ll start to notice how much better you feel.

#3 Be Brave & Focus On The Positives…

As well as focusing on what happens if you don’t go to the gym, you also need to focus on the POSITIVES…

You need to ask the question…

How much will my life improve by going to the gym?

The answer is a lot! going to the gym regularly will…

• improve how you look
• make you feel better
• increase life span 
• allow you to lead a better quality of life
• help you sleep 
• give you confidence 

The list goes on!

#4 Hire A Personal Trainer…

One of the problems people face when going into a gym is…

NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO.

People don’t want to look stupid, and people don’t want to invest time if they’re not certain that the time they invest will reap the rewards they’re looking for. 

If you’re unsure of what you’re doing in the gym, and don’t know where to start then reach out to an expert. Pay a coach who can take out the guess work for you and create a plan of action that’s going to work. 

A good coach will take you through the steps, make you feel comfortable and help you to build up confidence in a gym environment. 

#5 Go With A Friend 

Going to the gym with somebody that you know can be very comforting and give you the confidence to get through it together. One thing i’d say is go with someone who’s got a similar level of fitness as you. Going with somebody who’s very fit may put you off. 

Another option is to join a newbie’s fitness class,  an environment for people who feel just like you do and are new to the whole gym experience. 

Good Luck…

I just want to wish you all the best of luck.

YOU CAN DO IT. 

If you need any help or are struggling with anything that’s holding you back send me an e-mail at nick@lepfitness.co.uk .

I’d also be happy to jump on a phone call and listen to what you’re struggling with so I can try to help you. My phone number is 07834 950 712 – feel free to call or text me anytime 🙂

Thanks for reading, and good luck once again!

Nick 🙂