Walking into a Gym

Is it ever intimidating! But if you are ready to hit the gym you got to start somewhere. Walking in, you will see the people who are stronger than you, fatter than you, meat - heads, over exercisers, you name it - and it is NEVER an easy walk. It’s like walking down intimidation valley. So I read an article in Woman’s Health last night titled " How to Own a Room" by Kate White who is the author of " I shouldn't be telling you this" and "Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead...but Gutsy Girls Do". The article focuses on building your confidence before and during the intimidating situation, a.k.a walking into a gym. The most important points that Kate made in this article to me were:

Own Plenty of "I Look Great" Clothes: Look the part and you'll feel it. That’s right - I know it’s difficult with gym clothes, but there are so many different styles in lululemon, winners, etc to choose from. Wear what YOU feel good in, not what’s trendy or in style. Remember there are so many mirrors in the gym so you won’t be able to hide from your reflection. Go on, buy a new outfit - it’s a great excuse!
Zoom In on The Positive: Instead of focusing on what you don’t know, how bad you might be at using the machines, how all eyes will land on you once the weight you choose slams and makes a brutal sound that echoes throughout the gym...ugh, trust me been there, done that. You need to focus on the positive - remember time spent exercising is never a waste of time! You're focusing on you and your body - this is YOUR time.
Know what you Need to Know at the Moment: Get one of the gym's personal trainers to give you a tour to show you how some of the machines work! Or Google the exercise at home....YouTube it even to see demos.
Steal a Few Moments to Get Centered Before You Go In: This has been proven to be effective with all intimidating walks of life. Interviews, presentations, or walking into an unknown situation (the Gym). Change your body language - Stand in a position that feels powerful for 2 minutes.

Take 15 minutes right now to watch this video that I saw on ted.com and it will explain this theory.
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

Of Course if you don’t want to go to a gym simply because you enjoy other forms of exercise that make you sweat and give you a REAL workout then don’t bother with these sweat filled boxes. However if you have a competitive personality and enjoy routine; you will truly enjoy the gym; you just need to break the intimidation barrier.

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