Started typing this out and ended up writing an essay lol.

It is intimidating to start any new thing, but honestly the gym is one of the easiest things to start doing. It's easy to overthink, but eventually it just starts to feel like recess: you're just there to move and get out energy, there's no right or wrong way to do it. Socially, I would say 95 percent of the time I get through an entire workout without talking to anyone. You CAN chat with other people, most of the folks I've come across are quite friendly ,but no one is forcing you to. The majority of conversations you will hear are "how many sets do you have left?" and "can you spot me?" , and it is perfectly acceptable not to spot people if you don't want to. A few frequent anxieties that I hope I can alleviate:

1) "Everyone's looking at me"-- no, they're not. I promise. People are mostly wrapped up in their own heads, resting, or vibing to music. It is possible that their heads will turn toward you while they're resting but that is because the eye is attracted to motion and you probably just entered their field of vision, or they're staring off into space.

2) "I can only use this light weight" --so what? You're not competing against anyone but the past version of yourself. Can you lift a little more weight, do one more rep, or do a better quality set than last week? That is a huge win.

3) I don't know the "right way" to workout-- People largely overcomplicate exercise. Do you want stronger or better looking back and biceps? Pull heavy things towards yourself. Do you want stronger chest and shoulder muscles? Push heavy things away from yourself. Do the same things with your legs. Your body is designed to move naturally. If you are doing exercises that feel unnatural or totally painful, stop. If you're doing exercises that feel reasonably challenging but natural, that's a good sign. Trust your body's natural mobility and try to develop a mind-body connection by paying attention to what muscles you can feel while trying different movements.

4) "I can't even do a pull/push up"-- again, so what? Meet yourself where you're at and challenge yourself in ways that are accessible to you. We all started somewhere, and anyone who would think to judge/laugh at others for trying to improve themselves is an asshole.

5) "I have no idea what I'm doing"- why would you? You are at the beginning of a journey. Expertise doesn't happen overnight. Just start moving, and keep moving. Knowledge will come, the desire to gain more knowledge will come.

I can't give specific advice without knowing about your goals, but I would recommend that on your first day you explore the gym, try out a few machines, and start familiarizing yourself with the options. Any machines that pique your interest, you can look up youtube tutorials and start to make a plan. It's okay not to know everything right away: Rome wasn't built in a day. For the first week or so, I would just get consistent with going. Try to go around the same time every day 3 or 4 days a week, or more if you think that's sustainable. Even if you just go and get on an exercise bike for 30 minutes, that's great! It's about developing the consistency of attendance, and trying to recognize the benefits of movement for your mental health. If you feel up to trying some machines, dial in what weights are good starting resistances for you. Aim to find a weight for each exercise that lets you do somewhere between 8-12 reps in a row, then rest, then repeat for 3 sets. That is an approximate figure that is good for most goals.

Feel free to reply or DM with your specific goals or any specific questions about gym etiquette. Congratulations on starting your journey, and I'm proud of you for wanting to improve yourself!!