When You're An Introvert At The Gym

18 Aug 2021 running ·

What a difference 48 hours can make..After my previous visit to the gym went horribly badly, friday did a complete 180 and restored faith in myself.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

I wasn’t going to let the gym win. It wasn’t going to take the enjoyment out of my training. Mentally I went in ready to face my fears. And, I won. It, admittedly, did help by the fact the gym was fairly empty. The people in there were the same age, or older than me. I felt relaxed. All the tension that I had melted away.

Remember:

Nobody is judging you
Don’t compare yourself to others
Keep your workouts short
Do what you love
Wear headphones
Go In Off Peak Hours

Game Plan

I was ready. I had a game plan. If the upstairs area with all the cross trainers, exercise bikes and treadmills was busy, i’d go downstairs and use the leg press and other torture devices. And visa versa. if both areas were busy i’d just go home and try again the next day.

Nobody is Judging you

Despite thinking you’re going to be the center of attention, everybody is in their own little bubble trying to ignore everybody else. Chances are some are even as introverted as you.

Your of the gym and certainty that I was being judged came from my thoughts and beliefs—not theirs.

How to Stop Feeling Judged at the Gym: The Psychology of Gym Anxiety

Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

This is a difficult, but important one. They aren’t you, and you aren’t them. You have to travel your own path.

Comparing Yourself to Others Won’t Help You Meet Your Goals

Keep your workouts short

You don’t need to spend all day in the gym. You don’t need to be there for hours. An hour even. Small bursts of exercise throughout the day are just as effective as one longer session. Just 30 minutes of exercise is more than enough time to get in a great workout.

The 9-Minute Strength Workout

Wear headphones earbuds

This is a no-brainer. The music at the gym is terrible. You can be in your own little bubble. People will usually not try and talk to you. It’s easier to just blank out the entire world around you. Also you’re not left with your own thoughts bouncing around in your head.

Bluetooth earbuds are ideal for wearing to the gym. Don’t use headphones, they tend to be bulky in size and don’t stay put.

5 Reasons You Should Take Wireless Earbuds to the Gym

Go In Off Peak Hours

This might vary from gym to gym. But generally speaking:

Weekdays around lunch or in the early afternoon.
Late at night (past 8 pm if your gym is still open)
Weekends in the mid to late afternoon.

I usually go after work at about 5pm and it can be very hit and miss as to how busy the gym is.

When Is The Best Time To Exercise?

Stick at it and the gym is something you get used to. Countless others have been in your shoes, myself included. Think nothing of any judgment you think may be occurring because everyone else will almost certainly be doing their own thing. Easier said than done, but it will happen at some point.

Be kind to yourself. If it’s too busy go again another day. Just do a short workout. The more you go the more the gym will become a familiar place. You’ll start seeing the same faces regularly.

And chances are some of those familiar faces will be feeling exactly the same as you.