# I Wish to go to the Gym, but I am too Scared



## Lavitz (May 12, 2012)

I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


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## adam28 (Apr 13, 2012)

Ya I can relate, but you know you can do alot without going to a gym. You can jog outside if you are comfortable with that, and do situps/pushups/pullups in your home.


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## Lavitz (May 12, 2012)

adam28 said:


> Ya I can relate, but you know you can do alot without going to a gym. You can jog outside if you are comfortable with that, and do situps/pushups/pullups in your home.


Well, I figure if I go to the gym that will help make me acclimate to situations I feel uncomfortable with rather than finding solutions where I stay inside and things of the like.


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## kimtsan (May 10, 2012)

Try the work-out DVD's.  It's what I do. I don't like going to the gym because I feel like everyone is staring at me and there's always this perfect looking person who has the perfect body jogging on the treadmill :/ and I hate jogging outside. 

I recommend Shaun T's dance workouts. I know some guys avoid those because it's "sissy"...but it's actually quite fun to do and not so intensive. Or you can try his Insanity. My brother did it for two months and got a six-pack. Otherwise, TurboJam and Power90 are also good...oh, and Zumba! Very fun Latin dance workout.  

There are free workout videos/tips on Youtube, too! Hope this helps.


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## soshy (Jul 17, 2011)

Lavitz said:


> I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
> I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
> I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


I don't have any friends, but I go to the gym a fair bit - it was tough at first but now I really enjoy it. In terms of what to do when you get there, a pretty harmless machine is the exercise bike - just sit on it and start pedalling, and it's good cardio for you :boogie. There's no order of operations, if it's any help I start with a warm up on the rowing machine, then run on the treadmill, then do weights/ab workouts (depending on the day) and then stretch. But it's all up to you.

You can always ask one of the trainers or people at reception to give you a tour of the gym too, that will be really helpful!

If you feel like you're getting anxious, you can always duck off to the change rooms or just leave and try again next time. Good luck, I really hope that you go


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## Nyx (Nov 17, 2003)

You could ask when their less busy hours are and come at that time. Then you can get used to the machines and the feel of the place and work your way up to busier hours.


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## PaysageDHiver (Jun 18, 2011)

You're going to do this. It will be a huge triumph for you, and you'll wish you'd started it sooner (as everyone does who starts going to the gym). It won't take long before you start to really like it, and you'll be healthier and feel a lot better about yourself.

And I agree with Nyx.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

Lavitz said:


> I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
> I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
> I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


I think this is more common among women than men. Some gyms have a female only section. Don't know if that helps you any. Push yourself real hard to go and you will thank yourself for it later. There will be instructors there to make sure you know how to do the different exercises and to help you decide on a program for your particular needs...


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## Kakumbus (Mar 27, 2012)

i dont go the the gym, only went twice in my life, i workout at home, i plan on going to the gym soon enough since i just moved out. in sort you do it or u dont there is no magic solution


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## UgShy (Mar 6, 2012)

You could work out at home if you are willing to invest in some equipment to do so. Running outside is also free. If the gym bothers you so much you could head down that route but i'll tell you this - the gym is good exposure. Exposure is one of the only things that is going to help you overcome your social anxiety.


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## Dob (May 15, 2012)

i was like this for years scared to go to the gym not wanting people to judge me....but the truth is nobody cares almost every person there is feeling the same way including all the jacked bodybuilders or super fit women they are usually the most insecure people there......just get some good big headphones blare some music you like and focus on working out


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## matisyahu (Dec 2, 2011)

I want to marry a girl like you. lol


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## gluten2513 (May 16, 2012)

*Gym*

you can get your own gym at your home or if you do not wish to gym then yoga is best for you.

http://felicitysglutenfreehandbook.com


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## Ventura (May 5, 2009)

I have a 24 hour gym and I normally go around the hours people aren't active. 1am, I'm the only one working out! :haha 

6 pm - a lot of people are eating, and not at the gyms, you could try around those times... or a smaller gym with not many people.


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## thelostcookie (May 16, 2012)

You could try setting up a home gym, nothing too complicated - treadmill, hoops, skipping ropes or one of those multi-gym machines. It'll take the stress out of stepping out of the house, you can exercise whenever you want to in whatever clothes you want and blast whatever music you like! (just make sure you're disciplined enough to set a time/duration for yourself  That's what I did


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## ERICbarbaric (May 17, 2012)

It's definitely something you're interested in doing, and ultimately working out will help alleviate stress and anxiety. Exercise leads not only to a healthy lifestyle physically, but mentally as well, right? 

It was definitely very difficult for me to start going to the gym habitually while alone, but it gets easier. Once you have a workout routine and understand it completely you can tune everything and everyone else out. 

You mentioned that you don't know where to begin in the gym. Bodybuilding.com is an excellent source of information with regards to excercises and nutrition. Ignore its name (bodybuilding) as the website has information for people of all types. It even has a ton of pre-made routines tailor-made for every individual with different body types, ages, and workout goals. At the homepage, there is a button at the top-left "find a plan" where you click your gender, age, and exercise goal. Then it lists several different plans.

The forum is also a useful tool, just as it is here. 

Good luck, and I really hope you can build the confidence to get to the gym as it can make a huge difference in your life!


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## IntoTheMystic (May 17, 2012)

I had serious trouble getting to the gym because of SA.
I trained in my apartment every other day for about a year; but really wanted to get out and exercise around others.

I settled on doing Taekwondo because it's a great cardio exercise (which I think is the best way to knock down your SA) and everyone in the room is engaged in the same activity, so there's very little of sitting around wondering what to do as your anxiety spikes into the stratosphere.

Anyway, I did taekwondo for two years consistently and it was always anxiety provoking to do it, but that ramped down over time, and by the end of each workout you're exhausted to the point where your anxiety is far diminished.

You really should go to the gym! Yes, it will be uncomfortable, but that's expected, right? As others point out, find an exercise that is the most natural for you and focus on that at first -- this way you'll know what to do when you come in and won't be confused and awkward as if you had to decide everything on the fly under pressure. You'll get your workout in, and over time you'll build up your comfort level!

Final thought - you may want to warm up for 20 minutes or so before you go to the gym to step down your nerves a bit, so that when you enter you won't get hit with as big a wall of anxiety. It's something I do a lot. (skip rope, jumping jacks, jog, etc.)


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## inspiron1 (May 17, 2012)

hey.
i had very similar feelings about this before i went to the gym first time. i was extremely underweight, 62kg at 6foot 1. but i look rather mid-twenties, so it results in one freaky looking kid. all i can say is that getting the courage to finally start going to the gym on a weekly basis was the best descion i ever made in my life. 5 months into going i gained 15kg, and just walking around, and feeling that extra weight gave me a feeling of self-satisfaction that overpowered a lot of my sa.
i wish you the best. i promise you making gains from workouts, will make you feel wonderful.


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## Grilledpotatoes (May 18, 2012)

Yeah those machines are intimidating. I'm scared that someone will come and tell me I'm doing it wrong and the laugh at me . You can maybe ask one of the PT to show you. Anyways my brother tells me people are usually helpful instead of mean at the gym. Hope its true.


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## Dr Hobo Scratch MD (Jun 24, 2011)

Lavitz said:


> I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
> I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
> I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


if going places is to much for you right now start off working out at home at home.

http://www.bodylastics.com/
http://www.burnthefat.com/


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## Dr Hobo Scratch MD (Jun 24, 2011)

if your trying to build a lil muscle and tone up i can send you my routine if you want.


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## AwkwardPanda (Dec 12, 2012)

Lavitz said:


> I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
> I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
> I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


I go to the gym 2-3 times a week. I usually try not to make eye contact and concentrate on my workout. To be honest most people at the gym don't really care. They're mostly concentrating on workingout, unless you come across those dudes at the gym that **** at girls *ahem* but that's another story. Don't worry you'll be perfectly fine. :yes


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## Softy785 (Apr 16, 2006)

I go to the gym 4-5 times per week by myself. I think most people go to the gym alone so that's definitely not something to feel bad about. To me, it seems like most people are just focused on having a good workout and don't care too much about "people watching" at the gym. People are busy doing their own things, and won't pay much attention to you. I've been going to the gym regularly for 13 years now, and I've never ever had someone come up to me and tell me I'm working out wrong. So your concern that it's going to happen is irrational, because it most likely will never happen.


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## Makiz (Dec 31, 2012)

I'm too scared too, although I feel I need to be bigger to go... it's right on my road too!
I invested in 200kg of weights, dumbbell, barbell, squat rack and a bench with peck deck/leg curls. It's helped a lot with confidence and feeling better about myself. 
Even if you start slowly at home, it's totally worth it.


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## LoneViking (Jan 3, 2013)

Lavitz said:


> I don't have many friends, and none of the ones I have that live here would go with me.
> I am very afraid of being places by myself. When I get frustrated or disappointed with myself, I can not help but to cry. I have anxieties about crying in public to boot.
> I don't know what to do if I go there. You know, the order of operations for going to a gym and working out. I just want to feel good about myself, but I always find reasons to lock myself inside.


I feel the same way.

Personally i hate the gyms, but it didnt stop me from working out at home, there are programs you can play on DVDS and do as the trainer says. Theres p90x, Rushfit etc.

Personally i've done Rushfit and the results are amazing. I used to weight 115 now im 95KG I lost almost 20 KG in 5 Months. i noticed changes in my appearance and the results amaze me till this day. its a wonderful program. All you need is a small space to work out, A pair of dumbells (nothing heavy! i personally use 6KG and i still tire) and a dvd player + TV.

Goodluck if you do chose to do it, its fun and the results will come! feel free to ask me anything about it if you want to.


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## ricymardona (Dec 17, 2012)

There are lots of other thing apart from gym that you can also do, like you can do yoga, morning walk, exercises etc.


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## Thix (Jul 14, 2012)

I liked using the machines at the gym for most things, rather than free weights. They're designed to work one specific thing, so they're fairly intuitive and they usually have instructions right there on the machine if you're still not sure. 

Just try out all of the machines and go back to the ones you like. You'll naturally end up creating your own routine.

It's also really helpful to bring an ipod or your phone or something so you can listen to music. It'll help you take your mind off of being out in public doing something new and blocks out the sounds from the other stuff going on around you, so it really helps "encapsulate" you.


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## Silene (Jan 11, 2013)

I'm battling this right now. I really want to work out and get back in shape but its really hard to force myself to go. Gyms scare the hell out of me, like all other unfamiliar places. I tend to have panic attacks when I go somewhere new, which is a bit discouraging. Something I did try so far was ask for a tour. This way I could scope the place out and mentally prepare myself lol. The next step of my plan is to go and just use the treadmill for 20 mins, because its something I'm familiar with and gives me a chance to calm down and get familiar with the place. Just taking baby steps


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