What People Don't Realize?
Everyone knows about the positive outcomes of going to the gym, such as increased confidence and a better mood, and how it teaches values such as discipline, awareness, and goal-setting.
But most people don’t realize that just like anything in life, it comes with obstacles that will challenge you, some at the beginning of your journey and some in other months. So, it becomes more important to become aware of them as early as you can so that you can prepare and prevent them.
Social Anxiety
Let’s start with the common problem that is experienced by newbies when they decide to start their fitness journey, which is social anxiety. It might come in different forms, such as thinking you will be considered because of how you look, because of how much you lift, or because of the type of workout you do. You must have seen some videos of people mocking and making fun of beginner gym-goers and thinking the same thing happened to you. Here, you need to stay positive and remember that these people are very rare and no one supports them or their actions.
This problem results in beginners being intimidated and avoiding certain rooms like the weight room or certain exercises that make them feel vulnerable; it can even result in them giving up and thinking that this isn’t for them. The reality is that no one really judges you, and they are occupied with themselves only. You must not forget that the gym should be a place where you can feel at home and be easygoing, not anxious and self-conscious. But the concern is, how can you actually get rid of it?
The answer is simple: be aware that no one judges you and be exposed to the feeling of anxiety; don’t shy away from it. As many times as you tell yourself and realize that you don’t have anything to worry about, it is normal to still feel social anxiety. The key is to persist and keep doing your workout routine and going to the gym.
It happens when you join a foreign environment for the first time, just like the first day at school, but you will be comfortable and at ease in no time.
Injuries from Bad Form and Workout Plan
Another obstacle that may arise at the beginning of your journey is not paying enough attention to correct form and workout plans. Not only are you way more likely to get injured, halting your fitness journey, but you may not even hit the correct muscle, meaning you are doing all of that work for nothing.
Despite having the correct form, though, you can still be injured by lifting way more than you can or doing too many reps. For this reason, it’s essential to be humble and patient by researching and preparing. You can learn via the internet, carefully observe others, or ask for help if you feel like you’re doing something wrong and not hitting the right muscle. Don’t ego lift; you’re only damaging yourself, and most people mind their own business anyway.
Bad Nutrition
You must always remember that proper nutrition is a big part of working out, and you should pay attention to it. People either don’t eat enough for the body to heal and become stronger or they overdo it with eating and supplementation.
Both of them are really unhealthy and bad for your body, making gym-goers have low energy, bad moods, and even stomach-kidney problems or diarrhea when they are overdosing on extra fats and protein. So, it is advisable to visit a professional, but if you don’t want to, it doesn’t matter what the reason is; make a plan based on nutritionist recommendations. You can do that by calculating how much extra protein or fat you need based on your height and weight and depending on whether you want to gain or lose weight.
To make your work a little easier, you can use the tool that is good for you, which you can search for online. And the most important thing is that you must listen to your body and respond accordingly. If, for example, you don’t recover and still feel sore after two days, it’s a good idea to start increasing your protein intake.
Body Dysmorphia
Once you start going to the gym, you see results showing that your muscles are getting immense and stronger. But then you start seeing Instagram posts of people who are bigger and stronger than you. You start comparing them with yourself and that’s when problems arise.
Being afraid of others judging you is very different from judging yourself. Unlike many other problems that gym goers face in the beginning, this one may usually arise a long way into your gym journey.
You should know that body dysmorphia is a serious mental health condition where you can’t let go of one flaw or weak part of your appearance, feeling constantly that your body is not perfect and is missing something, making you anxious and lowering your self-esteem, worth, and confidence.
This leads to obsessive training, seeking approval, and avoiding social interactions. This, though, is far from the truth, and that view is distorted and fake. You must be aware of it and understand that being so overly analytical about yourself that you come up with flaws is a distorted illusion and will get you nowhere.
Conclusion
It’s clear that most problems that arise come from fear and insecurity, making you judge yourself and being afraid of others judging you. Those perceptions and emotions are very normal, though, since the reason people usually go to the gym is to deal with that insecurity in the first place.
The thing is, you should always be on the path of bettering yourself and not getting worse. You should always remember why you started and how far you have come, and be mentally disciplined to know when to stop and not overdo it.
Author:
Menelaos Shima
