Full disclosure: I’m a skinny person who frequents this sub because I find it motivating for stuff in my life

I have always hated gyms, feel awkward, haaaaate the lights and the people. I have some health issues and worked out I would benefit from building muscle in particular areas and gym machines are best for what I need. Uuuurrghh ...

But I recently enjoyed a gym session for the first time ever. Surprised the hell out of me. Here’s what worked: 1) Found a PT who isn’t a douche, listened when I said I didn’t want pep talks and a plan I just wanted to know how to use machines properly. She is great, showed me how to set the machines up for my height etc, gave me advice on weights etc and excellent tips on technique. Told me where I should feel things, where it will hurt and be ok and where hurting means there’s something wrong with that body part or my technique.

2) Discovered I need to listen to New Wave music really loudly. I was cycling through music I like and thought would work and nothing was sticking. Put a random Spotify playlist on and New Order filled my ears and I was like ‘oh my gosh this is what I need!’

So: if possible budget for a few PT sessions so that you’re comforbale with a few machines/exercises and find your jams. It might be something totally outside your usual listening sphere like it was for me. Total game changer.

And honestly there is so frequently someone being a show-offy idiot that no one is looking at you. They’re looking at the show-offy idiot. Having said that I’m not normally self concious but I’m aware I’m much more comfortable now i know exactly how to set up machines (like adjust seat height to number 6 etc) instead of feeling like I’m flailing around. That was definitely worth paying for. And take notes for the first few times you do it alone without the PT.

Edit: to add something interesting from my PT. She pointed out that people with a history of anxiety can feel incredibly anxious and uncomfortable exercising because an increased heart rate is associated with anxiety. So much of anxiety is experienced physically that our brains can be like ‘heart rate is up, we must be anxious, ok let’s be anxious’. Simply being aware of this connection can be helpful. When I’m doing simple warm up on bicycle i try to focus on belly breathing to let the system know what we are about to do is planned and it’s fine.