Have you recently joined a fitness center or maybe you are a first timer? There can be a sense of excitement for anything new in life. For some, however, that feeling is more of fear than a positive excitement. Taking the first step to join is a start. Now, what happens when you get to the fitness floor with all the scary equipment. A monstrous cable machine with the many alarming attachments, the spine-chilling strength circuit, terrifying treadmills and bloodcurdling bikes are all being tamed by users. Do you have what it takes to do the same? Do you even dare approach the frightening free weight area with gruesome gargantuas roaming about? Does any of this sound familiar? Overcoming some common fears of fitness centers is the next step.

Fear of being judged or social anxiety....

This is the most common fear to overcome. We all have some level of this fear in general. For those that easily overcome the perceived fear of being in the spotlight, fitness is fearless. Naturally, there are those that have a higher anxiety level. Fixing that isn’t easy. The best way to overcome this is to focus on the words “perceived fear”. That feeling is created by the one feeling it. It is simply one’s perception. Again, it’s easy to tell someone to brush it off and it’s no big deal and to ‘get over it’. The reality is it is a very difficult task for some. Learning to control your level of social anxiety and make your fitness goals more important than worrying about what other users are thinking is priority number one.

Fear of the unknown....

When anxiety is overcome, the technical aspect of working out may be the fear. Not knowing the ‘how-tos’ when it comes to use of equipment or what exercises to do to reach your specific goals can keep some from even attempting. Like all things, knowledge is power. Accessing the fitness center’s personal trainers to get started is the best way to ward off this fear. Not only will you have peace of mind knowing that you are performing exercises properly, but you will also have better results. If you choose to continue working with a personal trainer, you will gain more knowledge and confidence and have no fear of the unknown.

Fear of the fitness center environment....

Even when anxiety is overcome and there are no uncertainties with equipment and routines, there may be etiquette unknowns. All fitness centers have general policies for users. One common policy focuses on equipment sharing and time limits. At The Pointe at Ballwin Commons, there are two major etiquette policies that are important to know so all users are on the same page and being courteous. When it comes to strength training, whether on the strength circuit or in the free weight area, users are expected to allow others to work in. Particularly on the strength circuit when the switch-over from one user to another is quick with a few adjustments, taking turns performing sets is ideal.

Generally speaking, with strength routines, muscle needs a rest period before performing the same amount of work again. The most common mistake is going through the motions and performing a set, waiting 30 seconds or less and performing another set of the same exercise. If you are able to perform the same exercise with the same amount of weight and repetitions with such a short rest period, the previous set probably wasn’t intense enough (correct amount of weight/number of repetitions).

As far as cardio equipment there is a straightforward time limit policy of 20-minutes. The only directive to understand is if you are using a treadmill, for example, and there is another treadmill available somewhere else on the floor, the time limit policy has no bearing. In addition the 20-minute limit doesn’t mean that your time starts when someone asks how much longer you have on the rare occasion there is not another treadmill available.

Fitness centers can be frightening. Seeking a little guidance and overcoming the internal struggle of anxiety is the remedy. Face your fears and make fitness a priority.....your body will love you for it.