Have you ever gotten dressed, dragged yourself to a fitness class, then turned around at the last minute? Lots of us have and for many women, it’s because they feel self-conscious about working out in public.
A new survey finds that 45% of women are worried about showing their body while exercising and 48% say they’re “too unfit” to feel comfortable working out in front of others. This exercise embarrassment keeps some ladies from getting the fitness they need, but those who’ve found a way to overcome it are sharing their secrets.
Here’s what real women do to shake off that self-consciousness and overcome gymtimidation.
- “I love running, but definitely am part of the self-conscious club. It’s not always a popular option, but 6am starts when things are quiet are my favorite. I feel like I have the world to myself and don’t have to worry about lots of people around.”
- “The sound of my own panting literally makes me want to cringe, so I always make sure I have good music and noise-canceling headphones”
- “Joining a female-only powerlifting group changed my life. And remember, what you are doing today, your future self will thank you for.”
- “Forget the people who are (probably not even) watching you at the gym. I do it for my kids. I want them to see me do it, as a woman who looks after her body and her mind - to encourage them to do the same.”
- “I remind myself that everyone out there is concerned with themselves and their own insecurities. Nobody cares about how I look when I exercise.”
- “I acknowledge what my body does for me everyday to keep me alive. I acknowledge my privilege for being able to move, to exercise, to go for a run if I wanted to. It’s a privilege to be able to go to the gym or a yoga class and how I look in a pair of leggings should not be what I focus on.”
- “I recommend a good audiobook, that way I’m focused on the storyline instead of others!”
- ‘I get rid of comparison. You don’t know somebody’s journey, where they’ve been, what they’ve been through, we all look and move differently and that’s OK.”
Source: Metro
Photo:Getty