There’s nothing like that moment of panic after receiving an email confirmation from a purchase that suddenly makes a long-term commitment a reality. Once I grasped that my membership to Planet Fitness was now indeed reality – requiring me to actually GO TO THE GYM – fear and doubt washed over me, causing me to second-guess everything!

The first and last time I joined a gym  was during my senior year of college. I own dumbbells, a kettlebell, and a stability ball along with a treadmill, bike and an elliptical.  I prefer to run outside. Why would I need to join a gym? Well, for the past year I  have been lifting weights consistently at home but I admit — I was getting bored. 

When the news broke that  Planet Fitness was opening near  me, I was immediately convinced that this would be my ticket to boost my fitness to the next level. Of course it’s easy to dream about all the benefits while sitting at home, awaiting the grand opening. There’s no risk involved in dreaming. But the moment it opened I freaked out, knowing I now had to follow through. 

The big day arrived. My plan was to go grocery shopping and then hit the gym (in order to be efficient of course!). My mind spun anxious thoughts the entire time I shopped. What would it be like walking into the gym? Would it be packed with people who were jacked and in much better shape than me ? Would I be walking around like a lost soul trying to figure out what to do? Would I make a fool out of myself? 

Thanks to these irrational thoughts I almost talked myself out of going before I even left the store. Miraculously, in the parking lot I convinced myself to just go in and at least take a look around. (I despise walking into uncharted territory – especially by myself!)  After multiple deep breaths, I tried my best to appear confident as I walked in with a forced smile planted on my face.  I kept repeating to God, Please help me follow through. The guy behind the desk greeted me, showed me exactly what I needed to do to check in and answered all my questions. My racing heart slowed a little as I noticed that it wasn’t crowded and everyone there was engrossed in their own activity. Another deep breath. 

My only recent experience in a gym was supervising my cross country and track teams in the high school fitness center, but I never personally worked out there. This was an entirely different story having to tackle the machines myself. There were so many to choose from!  I walked around trying to take it all in. I immediately felt very self-conscious because I was just wandering around looking at the machines without doing anything.

Finally I settled on the chest press because there was no one in the vicinity.  I sat down, figured out how to adjust the machine, took a deep breath, and realized I could handle it. Once I started moving, I immediately felt better. As I rested between sets, I looked around and quickly discovered that no one was looking at me. In fact, there were others trying to figure out the equipment just like me. 

Armed with more courage I approached subsequent machines with curiosity instead of fear, and soon I was immersed in my own routine – just like everyone else. The last thing they were thinking about was me. In fact, it was possible that they were walking around feeling just as self-conscious. 

After a few more exercises, my mind completely relaxed. I definitely walked out  feeling stronger mentally than when I walked in. I conquered my fear of stepping into the unknown by myself, and I managed to get a pretty decent workout in.

In retrospect, my fear of the gym has never really been about the gym. Sure it’s a little intimidating to be surrounded by so many machines that I’ve never used before,  but once I got going, I realized that it’s pretty self-explanatory. 

My fear stems from being self-conscious and worried about what others MAY  think.  I’m getting better with it as I get older and realize people are not spending time thinking about me. They’ve got enough of their own stuff going on. Most of the expectations I have and scenarios that I play out in my mind NEVER come true the way I envision them. And actually, most of the time things work out much better than expected.

I’m happy to report that I no longer fear the gym, and I’m better about venturing into the unknown. I love the atmosphere where everyone is working out, pursuing goals and improving their health. What I once feared I now look forward to. What once intimidated me now inspires me. It’s always that first step. It’s the worst! So don’t let fear hold you back. Take a deep breath, hold your head high, fake a smile and go for it. Before you know it, you’ll be right at home, actively chasing your dreams where you always imagined you would be.


Have you ever allowed fear of the unknown to stand in the way of something you really wanted to do or knew would be good for you?