50+ Lifestyles

Intimidation of the Fitness Center

By Logan Anderson, BA, CPT, CIFT
Owner of All Strong Fitness LLC

Intimidation of the Fitness Center

Fear drives a large majority of our day to day decisions. Fear is incredibly powerful in shaping our thoughts, and steers us towards a path of comfort when the option is there. Although fear instinctively helps us out in numerous situations, we often cling to fear in situations which when broken down, aren’t quite as fearful as they seem on the surface. One example of this is in regards to going to exercise or participate in structured physical activity in a gym setting.

For older adults, the gym may be a completely new world for them. If a senior has not participated in physical activity throughout their life, or ever been exposed to a physical fitness center, the idea can be quite daunting. This fear of just taking a step in a place like this can immediately send bad thoughts to the individual in the situation. Unfortunately this leads to some individuals ready to make a change in their health, paralyzed by the fear of even making it into the gym to begin with. My hope in this article is to give gentle encouragement to help you realize that working out in the gym isn’t as scary as it seems.

When it comes to intimidation in the gym, the primary driver is often how one is seen by the others working out around them. As a senior this is especially true, as many of the individuals in a public gym are typically younger than them. To add on to this, many of these younger members are often doing movements that challenge their strength, stamina, and flexibility much greater than what a first time older adult would be able to ever do when starting a workout program. The good and bad news is that this fear, as with most fears,  is strictly based on the perception of others. Our immediate thought is that “those individuals look, move, and seem better than me, and are probably making fun of me.” In reality, these are simply poor thoughts that cloud our judgment and our ability to improve upon ourselves. Individuals who work out at a gym consistently will all say the same thing. They are there for themselves, and themselves only. Most of the members go to the gym to fix their health, work on their body composition, and build their confidence not for others, but for them. This can be true for you too. Going into a workout center with the idea that you are there for you, and only you, eases much of the anxiety associated with going to the gym.

A few other practical tips are:

• Bring headphones to listen to your own music or content during the workout.
• Have a plan before going in.
• Don’t look around at what others are doing. Focus on yourself.
• Don’t go around equipment or people that make you feel uncomfortable.
• Wear clothing that fits well, and makes you feel okay to exercise.
• If you ever feel uncomfortable with equipment, ask a member you trust or staff to show you how to use it.

These are just a few of many ways you can navigate being afraid of going to the gym. Hopefully, your perspective on things might have shifted enough to start your journey into making it to a fitness center. If it still isn’t the time, that is okay too! There are plenty of great ways to workout online, including many resources on our website allstrongfitness.org. Next time you think about heading to the gym and are wary, remember that everyone there has the same goal of looking better, feeling healthier, and becoming a better version of themselves.

Logan Anderson is the owner of All Strong Fitness LLC. For more information, please visit allstrongfitness.org.