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The Complete Guide to Overcoming Gymtimidation
How to enjoy the gym with confidence—and make it a better place for everyone
The first time I walked into a gym was around fifth grade, to lift weights with my middle school cheerleading squad. Thirty years later, the gym is like home to me. The sights, the sounds and — lord help me — even the smells are part of a familiar, comfortable place.
But not everyone feels at home at the gym. And though no one is obligated to participate in fitness, the job of public health is to make sure that everyone who does want to participate does feel welcome.
We have a long way to go.
One of the most common things that stops people before they start is “gymtimidation”: a fear of going to the gym, or the hike and bike trail, or the outdoor yoga class, or the Zumba studio, or wherever their activity of choice is happening.
I do consulting work with fitness centers, running clubs, and other workout centers on how to be welcoming and accommodating—exactly how to combat gymtimidation. In this piece, I’m going to talk about how gymtimidation happens, why it’s everybody’s problem, how you can overcome it, and how you can avoid becoming a gymtimidator yourself.
