If you are not a regular gym goer, it can be quite intimidating to go into the gym because the moment you step through the doors, you’ll see plenty of buff bodies and seasoned athletes who look fit and toned.

But do not be intimidated. More often than not, you should realise that these people are possibly more interested in admiring their own bodies and taking selfies of their latest workouts for their Instagram profiles – rather than noticing you there.

Here are some tips to help you feel more confident when you are at the gym.

1) Plan ahead

Have a plan of action. Why do you want to go to the gym? This is useful so that you won’t be wandering around the gym not knowing what to do. Be it to lift weights, go on the treadmill or do core exercises, know exactly what you want and have a structure.

A lack of preparation and plan can lead to intimidation or boredom; for example if you didn’t plan anything to do at the gym, you may feel tired and give up after five squats.

But if you planned a cardio + core workout of  20 minutes of treadmill action followed by ten squats, ten lunges and five burpees then go ahead with this and don’t care what everyone thinks of you. You will also be more confident going into your workout and feel as though you actually achieved something at the end of the session, too.

For newbies, it is strongly recommend that you start with light exercises such as body weight movements or light cardio on the treadmill or the stationary bike. Do not try and impress everyone in an attempt to lift the heaviest weights you can find, only to get yourself injured.

Only progress to the barbel or dumbbells if you are sure you have the strength and techniques to give these a go.

And don’t forget that the gym staff and trainers are there to give you help if you need them. They can demonstrate the right techniques on how to use the various equipment to you and lend you a hand in whatever you need.

2) Try the classes

For those who are new to the gym, why not try out some of the classes, also? There are plenty of classes to suit most types of people depending on your fitness goals, ranging from dance cardio to combat style classes and yoga or high intensity sessions.

Additionally, why not try and find a training buddy? This would help you to enjoy your workouts better and at the same time, you are more likely to stick to your training routine.

3) Find a personal trainer

Photo Credit: 4seasons-club.com

Having a personal trainer will keep you going, in that you will have a structure and a form of guidance to your training regime so that you can keep on improving and getting better at what you do.

This will also prevent you from lapsing into a plateau with your training and feeling as though you can no longer improve.

This article has been adapted from https://www.movenourishbelieve.com/move/avoid-gym-timidation/.