Gym/exercise

[BAM0782]

I have been doing atkins for about a week and I know that I need to work some "real" exercise in there for obvious reasons. My question is how do you get yourself to go to the gym when you feel totally out of place & like people are going to be making fun/staring at you? The gym I have access to is the Rec. Center at my college & when I go there all I ever see is the "pretty people" and the bodybuilder guys. The types that made fun of me all through elementary and jr. high school. I've gone over there before to exercise but, all I did was walk around the track for a mile. There were too many potential gawkers in all the areas w/machines & stuff. I don't know. Any ideas will be appreciated.
BAM :rolleyes:

[TammyD]

Well,
I'm kind of a shrinking violet when it comes to the gym scene too. I can say that it will only get easier…Maybe they will gawk and think you're out of place but they will get over it. You will not be so out of place tomorrow and so on. You will become very comfortable after a few workouts.

The truth is many people are concerned with their own workout and won't worry about yours but I know there is a social scene in some places. You may find a time of day that's not so bad too. I used to go at 6 Am, then I had no trouble getting on machines etc. That may sound insane but I avoided posers and met some nice people.

What ever you do, you have every right to be at that gym. I must admit I ended up changing gyms though (I couldn't keep up that 6 AM workout!)

[CheesyPoof]

What Tammy said, plus, you can get really good workouts at home (or in your neighborhood) where you will not be self conscious and can focus totally on yourself and your fitness goals.

[skeeweeaka]

I have been doing atkins for about a week and I know that I need to work some "real" exercise in there for obvious reasons. My question is how do you get yourself to go to the gym when you feel totally out of place & like people are going to be making fun/staring at you? The gym I have access to is the Rec. Center at my college & when I go there all I ever see is the "pretty people" and the bodybuilder guys. The types that made fun of me all through elementary and jr. high school. I've gone over there before to exercise but, all I did was walk around the track for a mile. There were too many potential gawkers in all the areas w/machines & stuff. I don't know. Any ideas will be appreciated.
BAM :rolleyes:

Hello,

I have the same problem. What I do is use the Walk Away the Pounds Video and Free Weights right now...I also go to the mall in them morning and walk...it's mostly seniors so I don't feels out of place. I also have a step aerobics tape that I use a couple times a week. The only way, as someone else has suggested, to avoid the posers and stares is to go really early or really late to the gym which are not options for me... I also walk outside when the weather is good... You'd be surprised what walking can do... Get a pedometer and try to walk at least 10000 steps a day... If you do this daily you will begin to see the weight loss, along with free weights. You don't have to lift large amounts of weights to see a difference. Just start with one set of exercises for each muscle group and work your weight up to more sets... You can find beginning free weight exercises for women on the internet...it has really helped to tone me in only two weeks since i have been doing it...

TJ

[cs_carver]

The people are prettiest after work, when it's social hour. I used to go to a gym in the early morning and no-one cared. No-one's wearing make-up yet, and the men look pretty raggy because some of them haven't shaved yet, either. Plus, the early work-out people understand that any effort matters and will be likely to appreciate your effort, because they are there for health rather than show-off.

[whyspers]

I'm with CS_Carver. When I started, I was afraid I would waste my money and not go because I would be too embarrassed. I sure did suprise myself...lol. Anyway...until my hours changed recently, I would be at the gym at 5:30 a.m. (Now I'm there by 6:30) At that time, there are only about ten regulars around and they were actually a big encouragement to me because every so often someone would tell me they couldn't believe how much weight I had lost, etc.

One thing I noticed at my gym...people aren't there to hang out...they are there to work out. 99% of them don't pay any attention to what anyone else is doing because they are too focused on what they are doing.

L