The Come Up: How to ease your gym nerves

The mental challenge and nerves which come with stepping into the gym for the first time is something which is not unusual - in fact it’s extremely common but we can’t let it hold us back or bog us down for too long or then finding the motivation to keep on going will eventually wither. We’ll take you through some steps which you can take to help you ease up when you step out of your comfort zone and step into the gym for the first few times. 

Tip 1: Have a gym partner. The importance of a gym partner for boosting individual performance is typically overstated but that doesn’t mean that going to the gym as a first-timer with a friend who’s especially confident won’t help. The experience will be less daunting and in fact more fun when you’re with somebody who knows what they're doing and more importantly can hold your attendance to account. The more you go, the more confident you will become and therefore having a frequent gym-goer as a partner can certainly help to ease nerves. 

Tip 2: Have a plan. As we mentioned in our post on how to get into weight training, a plan is crucial - “You don't want to enter the gym and feel lost” is what we said and this is true. Having a plan will give you a personal assurance that you know why and what you’re in the gym for and such an assurance deserves to be worth more than any looks of intimidation by onlookers.

Tip 3: Avoid training when it's busy. Perhaps the hardest yet simplest tip we can offer is to avoid the gym when it’s busy if you wanna ease some nerves. Hard because this may involve some rescheduling, some of which won’t be possible. Simple because doing it can result in a big confidence booster which you didn’t have to necessarily do much to gain.

Tip 4: Watch exercises before you do them. Knowing what you’re doing or even having a rough idea of such can go a long way to easing nerves when you first enter the gym. Therefore, watch videos and embark on the process as a student of the game - the more you watch, the more you learn, the more confident you become. 

Tip 5: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Asking for help is what makes you a student and it is also what will ease any fears or stigmas you had around being one because most people in the gym and therefore most people who you come across will understand your position and be more than happy to help. Once you understand it’s a process and that most people think the same then your nerves will be eased.