(ThyBlackMan.com) Many of us know someone that has lost their life to illness. Sometimes those illnesses were a result of unhealthy living. With that in mind many of us have sought to take back our health by making the necessary adjustments to live a better life. It’s true we can achieve what we set our minds too…as long as our body holds up. Regardless of the health goal its common knowledge that said goal will not be achieved over night. Changing ones eating habits is often met with the temptation of the foods we have grown to love.
However, the challenges one tends to face in the gym can be a bit different. If one isn’t careful the gym can be quite intimidating. If one is battling obesity it’s easy to feel everyone is looking at you, or feel that you are the biggest person in the room. Dispelling 
misconceptions about the gym can help you feel comfortable there. Everyone in the gym is working towards something, and you have just joined that community. Below are a few things to remember when you go to work out that many help you get through gym anxiety.
1. Everyone is not watching you. It may be hard to believe because you are self-conscious, at the moment, but many people in the gym are focused on their workout. Pay attention to how many sets of headphones you see…they are in their zone. Finding your zone in a workout takes the focus off of others and allows you to focus on only you and your goals.
2. When you are working to better yourself there are people that will celebrate you. You may find there are trainers and gym members that look out for you, and readily offer you assistance when you need it. This may happen not just because it’s someone’s job, but they respect the fact that you are taking steps towards bettering yourself.
3. You only know your story. You will see bodies in the gym that are fit, and you will see some in progress. The truth is you don’t know how many of those fit people stood where you now stand. Many of them had to overcome challenges to get to where they are, and it didn’t happen overnight. They had to make the same decision you are making now.
4. Yes, there are other people there, but you are in the gym for you. You are working out to better your life through your health. Don’t let anything take that drive away from you.
Feeling out of place in the gym when you start is understandable. Deciding to better your health is a wise step, but a big one. There can be many challenges, but the benefits of getting in shape far outweigh the concerns we have when we start. Sometimes, we intend to be diligent with working out, and for whatever reason, we fall off. We are often concerned that when we go back those diligent gym members will see us and shake their heads. Well, sometimes the same thing happened to them, and even if it didn’t you can’t let that stop you. You only have one life and one body. Don’t let the gym discourage you from working towards being your best person.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
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