When you’re starting out on your fitness journey, regularly going to the gym can feel overwhelming. There are many obstacles that can get in your way, like not being in the right mood, feeling intimidated, or thinking that your goal is too far out of reach.
How can anyone effectively start hitting the gym with so many barriers?
Research shows that these obstacles stem from your mental approach, which you can adjust to bypass them. The best advice for starting to go to the gym is simply to begin. Many people hold off because they believe they need the perfect routine, ideal supplements, and the trendiest workout clothes from the start. This mindset often leads to procrastination because those things aren’t immediately accessible.
It may sound basic, but breaking tasks into smaller, doable steps makes them seem less difficult and conserves your willpower. If your dream body is your ultimate goal, just stepping into the gym for the first time is a crucial initial step.
Think of your fitness journey as just that—a journey. Nothing changes overnight. Breaking down big goals into smaller actions helps you make going to the gym a habit and avoids procrastination.
People often procrastinate by saying they “don’t feel like” going to the gym. They’re stressed, tired, or just worn out. These feelings are valid, but humans are generally bad at predicting their future emotions, a concept known as Affective Forecasting. When you’re feeling down, it’s easy to believe you’ll feel the same way during your workout, making it easy to skip it.
However, this feeling of fatigue is usually psychological. Training actually boosts endorphins, meaning you’re likely to feel better after a session.
So how can you bridge that gap? This is where caffeinated pre-workout drinks work their magic. Caffeine can energize you and improve your current mood, making you more willing to exert yourself later.
If you’re not in the mood to work out, do something that makes you feel good beforehand. Listen to music, watch your favorite show, or play with your pet. A positive change in your current state can influence your future actions.
These mood-boosting activities can also serve as cues to build a habit. Over time, these cues become ingrained rules, known as Implementation Intentions in psychology.
If you’re struggling to get to the gym, try setting up specific “if/then” intentions. For instance, “if I set my workout clothes out tonight, I will wear them to the gym tomorrow,” or “as soon as I leave work, I will go to the gym.” These specific, actionable rules increase your chances of reaching your goals.
Once you’re at the gym, you might still struggle with self-doubt. Understanding the Pygmalion Effect can help. This concept states that your belief about achieving your goal is closely tied to your ability to reach it. If you believe you’ll fail, your behavior will reflect that. This negative thinking makes you feel like you’re at the mercy of your circumstances, externalizing your Locus of Control.
You might feel that factors like a stressful job or a sweet tooth will keep you out of shape, and that your efforts won’t matter. But the Pygmalion Effect works both ways: you can choose to believe in your ability to succeed, empowering yourself instead of succumbing to doubt.
Starting with confidence in your ability to improve at the gym internalizes your Locus of Control, making you the primary driver of your outcomes. People with an Internal Locus of Control tend to have better well-being and achieve their goals more frequently.
Maybe another issue is that your goal seems too distant, discouraging you from even starting. In this case, you might be setting the wrong type of goal.
Goals like benching 405 lbs or losing 30 lbs in six months are performance goals, which are ego-driven. These can make you either give up before you start, realizing the goal is unrealistic, or take shortcuts because you want to achieve it quickly.
Conversely, process-oriented goals focus on personal growth rather than a specific endpoint. This fosters a Growth Mindset, which has been shown to lead to sustained success in various aspects of life.
The success of this mindset can also be explained by the Zeigarnik Effect, which states people tend to finish tasks they’ve started. With a growth mindset, the process never stops; there’s always room for improvement, fostering continued progress.
While going to the gym may seem purely physical, understanding the psychological aspects can make it feel less like a burden and more like a rewarding habit.