This is how you overcome your gym anxiety

Did you, in a moment of New Year's madness, sign up for a gym membership and are now terrified to make your first entrance? I feel you. To be honest, I've never really felt comfortable in a gym. Aside from the fact that I don't have a sporty cell in my body, I just find it a mega-unglamorous place, with unflattering lighting, hard-to-identify smells, and sighing, groaning people. It doesn't make me happy. Still, it's a handy setting to work on your health goals, and I can tell you from experience that no one becomes a better person just by sponsoring the gym around the corner every month. As Kim Kardashian would say: ‘Get your ass up and work.’ How do you do that when the threshold of your gym seems to get higher and higher? I'll tell you.

Hire a trainer
Or ask a gym staff member for a tour. This helped me tremendously to get to know the machines, so I no longer had to doubt myself when using a particular machine. YouTube and TikTok are also full of beginner tips when it comes to machines or the mega-intimidating weights corner.

Find a gym buddy
Only do this with people who can really work out seriously. For example, if I go with my sister, our laughing muscles get trained more than the rest, which is very fun, but does nothing for your gym goals. Still, a gym buddy is really the way to go if you're feeling a bit insecure. Together, everything is always less scary.

Stop comparing
As tempting as it is: don't compare yourself to people who have been going to the gym for years and seem to know exactly what they're doing. They also started somewhere, and it's already very good of you that you've taken the step to work on your health. You go!

Let yourself be inspired
What you can do is let yourself be inspired by people you admire. Observe what they do (without coming off as creepy; no one likes a gym stare-down) or ask for advice. Most people enjoy helping others on their health journey. You got this!

Image: Sex and the city