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The older I get the less I care about what others may be thinking of me. If you're worried about what others may be thinking of you at some gym you need to lighten up on yourself and get busy. Get to the gym, get in shape and it will build your confidence.
You could also take up walking or jogging or biking. You can get a treadmill or a stationary bike for your home and do push-ups and sit-ups and get a set if weights for the home. Much better to do something then nothing. And working out is good mental therapy. Puts me in a good mood every time I work out.
The older I get the less I care about what others may be thinking of me. If you're worried about what others may be thinking of you at some gym you need to lighten up on yourself and get busy. Get to the gym, get in shape and it will build your confidence.
That's very true for me too. I was 22 when I had that stint with X-Sport. Maybe they changed their brand/image since then, I don't know. But even today, I wouldn't want to work out in a gym that looks and feels more like a glitzy social club than a workout venue. Not to mention the pervasive upselling for spray tans, personal training, pilates classes, questionable protein shakes, etc.
I go walking outside once a week for 1 to 2 hours, in addition to my gym workouts. But in Chicago, that's an option for 5 months out of a year at most. And stationary bikes are boring as hell.
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Unless you are doing weird exercises. Most gyms people are into doing their own thing. Intimidation is not so much from other people but the the person who feels intimidated and thinks everybody is watching them or that they even care.
People will watch you if you’re really attractive, wearing really skimpy outfits, or just doing strange things that no one can figure out why.
Unless you are doing weird exercises. Most gyms people are into doing their own thing. Intimidation is not so much from other people but the the person who feels intimidated and thinks everybody is watching them or that they even care.
People will watch you if you’re really attractive, wearing really skimpy outfits, or just doing strange things that no one can figure out why.
I'd say it depends on the gym. Glamorous gyms, like X-Sport or Equinox, tend to be "see and be seen" kind of places, where people sizing each other up isn't out of the ordinary. Heck, a few women I walked past were actually wearing makeup. More mundane venues, like Anytime Fitness or park district gyms, are more "keep to yourself" gyms where your statement would be totally correct. My college gym was in-between the two; all or most people there being college students acted as an equalizer of sorts, so I felt fine there. And Planet Fitness is a gym onto itself.
I went to the gym the other day and was put off by all of the young, lovely ladies who gradually made their way over to be near my workout station. I can't help it if they are attracted to my buffness.
I also thought it strange that Planet Fitness has pizza night and bagel days. They also have a large bowl of tootsie rolls at the front desk. I don't eat any of that stuff. I'm just there because it's clean, has a lot of machines so there's never a wait and it's 1.5 miles from my house. My favorite part is the hydro massage bed that I use when I'm done. I'm not there to socialize, make friends or meet a guy. I'm there simply to do my workout and leave.
So yeah, PF is definitely trying to attract a completely different crowd than say LA Fitness but it appears to be working as the place is always crowded on weekdays.
I've never understood this phenomenon. Even when I started out as a 150lb skinny weakling, I realized that not everyone was on the same level as me. If someone suffered from such intimidation, they would likely be precluded from doing much of anything in public.
Now that I'm one of the "experienced" people in the gym (bigger, more fit than the Ave. Joe), one thing I would like everyone to know is that people simply do not care if you're overweight/underweight/skinny/fat/weak/strong/etc. Especially those people who have worked out for decades and put in the hard work. It's actually just the opposite, we appreciate that you're trying to better yourself in such a manner. On the other end of the spectrum, most people just aren't paying enough attention to you to care or to judge. They're working out, focused and unless you're a Playboy playmate or Brad Pitt, likely aren't even looking in your direction.
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