Disclaimer: All information provided here is based on personal experience and meant for entertainment purposes. Not medical advice or research backed.

As we grow older, physical activity is often less integrated into our daily routines. Especially if you work a sedentary job, study for most of your day, or don’t take transit, movement can be difficult to get. P.E. classes are no more, and suddenly the dreaded gymnasium becomes a nostalgic memory because now it’s difficult to get yourself moving on a regular basis.

Enter, one solution of many, the gym.

Regardless of your gender, size, and strength, there’s a lot of ideas that hold people back from exercising in public spaces. Here, I’d like to address some of those misconceptions.

1. People will judge me

When we’re just starting out, we’re bound to get things wrong. This can feel especially humiliating when we’re in a public space. Especially if you’re not confident about your appearance, fear of judgement can hold you back because you’re afraid that others might make fun of you.

It’s important to note that imperfect movement is better than no movement at all. Exercise has a plethora of benefits, and you won’t be able to reap any of them if you’re afraid of others potentially judging you.

Also, if you’re hesitant to go to the gym because you don’t like how you look, then how will you ever improve that? You can’t change your appearance by losing weight or gaining muscle if you never go to the gym because you want to lose weight or gain muscle or gain strength… it’s a vicious cycle. Your best bet is to start.

Furthermore, this phobia of judgement has only increased since the boom of social media caused people to film in the gym.

I’ve been to a couple gyms before, and most gyms have a no-film policy. If you’re uncomfortable, you can always speak to a staff member, politely ask them to stop, or move out of the frame.

People are really nice

Most gymgoers understand the intimidation of going to the gym the first couple times. After all, we were all beginners once. If you ask questions politely while someone is resting, chances are they will be happy to help you! Be careful not to interrupt them when they’re in the middle of something though, because that could be dangerous.

2. I don’t know how to use the machines

The machines in the gym can look incredibly intimidating at first. There’s so many handles, weights, extra add-ons, and plates. There’s diagrams and labels and really long names for muscles you didn’t know existed, and there’s people who seem to know what they are doing.

To challenge this fear, I’d like you to remember that everyone was once a beginner. Nobody was born knowing how to lift weights with the perfect form, and most people don’t have personal trainers to show them how.

If you’d like to get started lifting, there’s thousands of Youtube tutorials for people of all abilities. You can also install a workout app like Hevy, which will not only track your workouts but also show you the proper form for each machine.

Psst… you don’t have to use the machines or the weights!

I’ve been going to the gym for about 3 years now, and I was so overwhelmed by the buff gymbros in the weight section that I didn’t touch a dumbell until I was about a year and a half in. I rotated between the treadmill and the bicycle because they were the most self-explanatory. Not ideal, not perfect, but better than the alternative which was nothing.

While I have full confidence in your ability to start off lifting and enter the realm of buff gymgoers, you don’t need to lift if you don’t want to or are too scared to. You can always start off small and build a habit, because movement doesn’t have to be perfect. Even a little walking on the treadmill is better than nothing at all.

3. The gym is the only form of exercise to get fit, and I hate it

Sometimes the gym just isn’t for you, and that’s okay. Indoor training is not everyone’s jam.

Going to the gym is one of the more common ways to get fit and stay active, but there are tons of others out there. Perhaps you would prefer:

• swimming
• jogging
• walking
• jumprope
• cycling
• ball sports
• so many more options!

There’s a plethora of different forms of movement to try, so if the gym isn’t for you or you’d like to build a bit more strength before entering, give some of these other forms a shot. Remember, even a couple baby steps is better than nothing!