1) Know your stuff
The last thing you want to do when you walk into the weights section of the gym for the first time is give off the “Bambi” look. You're like a deer trapped in head lights and you haven’t a clue what you're doing or how you're doing it. I would strongly advise you to do your research before going anywhere near the weights section. This will make you look and feel more confident when you do decide to begin.
You might be thinking. “Research? That’s way too much effort”. Well don't be put off by this because there are so many helpful websites out there. The internet is a great thing. All you have to do is Google the name of the exercise you were thinking of doing and nine times out of ten there will be a step by step guide on how to do it right there! Then there’s the question of “what if I don't know what exercises I should be doing?” Well that brings me to my next point...
2) Use the instructors
Every gym you go to will have members of staff who are trained fitness instructors. So use them! When you sign up to be a member of a gym, most places will tell you that you are entitled to a free gym program. This is where you get one on one time with one of the gym instructors. This is a great opportunity when starting off and you would be crazy not to use it. During your one on one time with your instructor they will ask you what you are looking to achieve and then they will draw you up your own personal programme. The instructor will then bring you into the gym and show you how to do the exercises they have set out for you and how to use all the different machines.
3) Be in your own little world
You can bet that there are some guys who go to the gym thinking that girls love being “helped” with their work out. I don't know where they heard this from but its definitely not the case for me or most girls I have ever spoke to about it. Maybe they are just trying to be helpful or friendly but if you're like me and think its really intimidating I suggest that you make yourself look as unapproachable as possible. Creating your “own little world” has proved effective for me in the past.
Avoiding eye contact is also effective. It seems to me that if you're doing your work out and a guy is just itching to come over and give you some advice, giving him eye contact is like his cue. So I suggest you use the mirrors. Usually in gyms you have plenty of mirrors that you can do your workouts in front of. Not only is this helpful to check your posture but it also gives you something to focus your eyes on. If you don't have the use of the mirror I would recommend keeping your eyes on the floor (if it doesn't affect your posture of course) or stare into space. This still gives the impression that you are in your “own little world” and are not approachable.
4) Buddy up
So you’re after getting started and you've mastered the unapproachable look (you're welcome) but you're finding the men to women ratio a bit intimidating. There's nothing worse than being in a weights section packed with men and being the only woman. You feel out of place and your thinking “just one more woman, maybe two would make me feel so much more comfortable”, well this is where my next tip comes in... Buddy up!
Maybe you've got a friend who is always talking about joining a gym, or a friend who just needs a gentle (or not so gentle) nudge in the right direction. Get them in the door. Neither of you will ever look back. Those guest passes you get when you join, they're there for a reason. Get your friend in for one or two free visits and get them hooked. Your friend will be forever grateful that you were the one who persuaded her to make this great lifestyle change. Suddenly you're not alone anymore and guys are less likely to approach you if you are with someone.
5) Choose your times
Being smart about what times you go to the gym is also important. Gyms tend to be busy in the evening time. People are trying to get their work out in, on the way home from work. The mornings can also get crowded as you have the early birds working out before they start work (now that’s dedication). So, if you can get to the gym late in the evening or better still the middle of the day you will find there is less people which means less reason to feel intimidated.
Author: Kate Croke - 4th year BB (Hons) in Recreation and Sport Management student.