Too embarassed to exercise in public
 

Do any of you feel the same? I have a gym at work, and on occasion I do get up the courage to go down there. But it's so embarassing! First of all, I don't have cute work-out clothes. Then, I can't figure out how to make it work logistically. I go to work in work clothes. I don't have time to shower after my lunch break (not that I exactly work up a sweat, but I don't want to smell either :dizzy:, that would be bad).

So that's my first problem - not the right clothes. Then of course comes my second problem, which is simply that I am the fattest person in the room! They gym is full of people in their 80's who are fitter than me, going faster and longer than me, and I'm so humiliated :o that I just can't face it. So I don't go.

But I want to go. What should I do?

If you want to go, I say, go. WHen I was a normal weight I went to the gym and there were one or two heavy ladies who came (300ish). The only comments I ever heard were nice ones towards them. "How awesome they are getting healthy" etc. You may inspire people. You may get some nice compliments as you get fitter, too!

I say go. Dig up the confidence and pride yourself on wanting to be more fit. You are all there for the same reason so there should be no reason to be embarassed. Especially if its all people you work with and they know you want to be healthy. And as far as them being in their 80's look at it as that what you want to be able to do when you are 80 and you need to start now.

Here's what's in my head at they gym:

When I see a teeny tiny girl working hard... "Why is she even here? She makes me sick!"
When I see a big girl working hard... "Right on sister! Keep it up!"

Really. I think negative things about the small girls, not the big girls.
And who cares what other people think, anyway. You are doing this for you. You may really like going to the gym when you get past worrying about what others are thinking about you.

I say go!! You are going for you, not anyone else, and seriously, who CARES what anyone else thinks?? I know that I used to be this way then I realized I can't read minds so that worked out GREAT now I never know what they are thinking and I just get my big butt up on my bike and drive through the neighborhood.

GRATS to you for wanting to do this and hang in there each day forward is a day forward!!

Hang in there!

Jen

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”

I say go! I still struggle from time to time--espcially walking into the free weight room which is almost always full of 'muscle guys'--rarely women and certainly no one as overweight as me. BUT, as my younger brother pointed out--they are too busy looking at themselves in the mirrors, they are not looking at me. And, if they are, well....they can watch me get more fit. I don't have 'cute' workout clothes either. When I am struggling w/ my confidence, I just turn up my music and walk right in.

i say DO IT! i actually asked at work for a shift accomodation (which if we have a realignment i might lose) so i can have a 90 min lunch. so i can shower and grab a bite after. i was really resistant to doing it. embarrassed and so sure i would fall off treadmill and bump my head and have to have ambulance called. i have a very active imagination!

but i pinky swore with my husband (whole other story) that i would. my workout room is much smaller than a big gym but there are other people in there at times. some bigger than me but most smaller. i do feel very envious and sometimes that i will never get there. but i keep going.
and you know what? the skinniest girl that i thought was a snot? she is shy. and she helped me with the elliptical yesterday and she cheered me on.

so you never know.
and if somebody thinks i am too fat to be there?

screw them!

maybe they are too socially impaired to be allowed to mix with others!

hahahahaha!

I'm a social worker who has a lot of experience working with folks who smell. It isn't likely that you will! The real key is clean clothes to begin with. Clothes that are dirty start to smell, especially if you add a little sweat. When I was really fit I used to walk to work (about four miles) and work up a sweat. I started "clean" (meaning a shower and clean clothes in the morning) no one ever knew that I had a major workout! (If you are going to the gym it isn't the day to try and get an extra day between washings of an item, particularly a top.)

As far as work/exercise clothes, bring a t-shirt that you can change into. That will take care of the worst area, the underarms and is a minimal "change". A t-shirt can easily be stuffed into a purse.

As far as being embarrassed. You can count me in! What I've discovered though is that nobody else cares, they are busy looking at themselves, not you. They don't know how fast or long you go, and they don't really care. I have exercised in hotel gyms, at spas etc. I'm always the biggest, no one seems to care. Much of what we find embarassing is in our heads.

If it is really a major problem, check out if you can switch your lunch hour, maybe taking it a little later. That way the gym should be emptier.

It isn't easy the first time, but I bet if you go two or three times you will find it is a non-issue.

Good luck, this is hard stuff.

Pandora

I'm always the sweatiest, most red-faced person in the gym (if not the heaviest anymore) but I take pride in looking like I'm struggling... there is nothing more annoying to me than the army of teeny little girls WEARING MAKE-UP! walking as slowly as possible on the treadmill, gossiping.

Anyway, I understand feeling self-conscious about exercising and moving in public, but I think most people are too wrapped up in their own routine/their own self-consciousness to notice anyone else.

It's all good! The hardest part is putting on your shoes and walking through the door! Everyone (big or small) should be applauded for going to the gym.

What's worse? Being overweight and trying to lose weight? or Being overweight and not doing anything about it... I don't think anyone can look down at your for trying! You go girl!!! Be proud of yourself and hold your chin high - you're TRYING!!! That's 1/2 the battle!

(how do you know the small girls weren't once big girls?!?)

Go. Go, go, go, go! You'll be so glad you did. I promise!

I used to be horribly self conscious and hated that I couldn't wear cute, coordinated workout clothes. I was sure everyone was staring at me in my oversized tshirts as I huffed and puffed my way through a workout.

You know what .. once I got into the routine, it didn't matter. I go to the gym, put my earphones on, and do my thing.

As far as logistics, can you go after work? I go to the gym right after work every day, and that way I don't have to go anywhere else all sweaty and stuff. I can just go straight home. Although, now I will stop by the groc store or wherever after I workout - I just don't care anymore who sees that I've just come from the gym. In fact I kinda take pride in it!

,

sweat? SWEAT? I am sweating in first 10 min of exercise. i hate when it drips in my eyes. but it shows i am doing something. please do go. it is just like anyting; it is only uncomfortable till you get used to it. YOU CAN DO IT!!

first of all, people at the gym are mostly there to get fit themselves, they don't really care about what others look like or what they are doing. and secondly, saying you are to big or out of shape to go to the gym is like saying you are to sick to go the hospital, or to imperfect to go to church. you go to those places because you need help, and that's where people go to get that help. also, i don't have any cute gym clothes either...yet. maybe you can use that for your motivation to go, say "if i go so many times i get a new cute gym outfit."
good luck sweetie...amy

I was pretty self-conscious at first, so I know where you're coming from. But you know what? Every time you go makes it a little easier to go the next time. Once you've gone for a couple weeks, you'll feel like you belong there. So I say go as much as you can starting now, and you'll get over feeling self-conscious in no time.

One of my best friends had a similar feeling/comment about going to the gym. The insight of her then 16 year old son changed her way of feeling instantly. He said something to the effect of..."mom, you should feel proud and excited that you are going to do something good and healthy for yourself, you should never be embarassed to work out, you should be embarassed to go through the drive through at McDonalds or eat a bunch of Doughnuts." Smart kid. I think of their conversation often if I have a twinge of feeling embarassed.
Can you take a quick rinse in the shower instead of a full shower? I wrap my dry hair in a dry towel and rinse quickly in the shower, re-apply deodorant and re-dress.
You could get some simple work out clothes that make you feel like you are ready to work out. They don't have to be "cute". I went to the men's exercise clothes area at Target and picked out some long shorts and a long sleeved shirt. These are made for working out, so they wick away the moisture from your skin. I tried the ladies section, but they didn't have very many large/XL sizes and the men's clothes fit well. Then I ordered online from Champion, again, men's shirts. I found some women's plus size shorts online from Champion.