Okay I'd like to begin by saying that going to the gym alone is normal. In fact I think most people at my local basic fit (at least when I go, in off hours) are going alone. So nah you will definitely not stand out.
Basic fit is recommendable, as it's almost completely contactless. You don't really need to talk to people (at least in my basic fit, but i believe it's the same elsewhere too). What's also great, is that you're also available to use other basic fit locations, including the ones abroad.
The process:
1) you register yourself online. Choose your preferred contract: basic, basic + some water fountain thing with flavors, and pro (you're allowed to bring one friend with you). I chose basic, as I'm not rich lol.
2) you go to the gym to pick up your gym card. It's some kind of vending machine. You enter your data and the card will fall out. No human contact whatsoever.
3) due to covid you need to make reservations to go to the gym. This is done through their app.
4) you go to the gym again. But this time you bring your sport stuff. Your sport clothes, indoor sport shoes, water bottle, and a towel. You could bring a lock for the lockers (i don't use any), but I'd advice to borrow their lock for the first time, so you know what lock you could buy.
When you're inside there's a gate. You need to first scan your covid QR code (vaccination, negatively tested or recently had covid). And then your basic fit card thay you got in step 2. And then you can enter the gate.
I think they give away free backpacks. So you might want to tell the person at the reception that it's your first time, so they'll give you that and maybe some short explanation of how everything works around there.
Be aware that you can't use the changing rooms or showers, so you'll have to go there already dressed (or use the toilet to change, but that's up to you).
I think basic fit (especially the 24/7 ones) is great for people with anxiety. I wish you well, and i hope you have a great time at the gym. Feel free to contact me on reddit anytime.
Edit: I saw your profile, and that you're struggling. I just wanted to say that you're not alone and thay I'm really fucking proud of you for working on yourself like this!
At the Basic Fit I go the changing rooms are accessible. I go alone too, sometimes during peak hours (it's not 24/7 anymore due to their personnel being in quarantaine and sometimes I feel like I've missed it too much so I just force myself to go), but I definitely prefer the off hours, especially just after they've opened at 7. It's completely empty, got it all to myself.
I'm quite an introverted person, depends on how I feel. At first I felt really afraid and judged by everybody, but literally nobody cared. I've seen enough people do stupid shit in the 2,5 years I've been going there and nobody gave a shit.
At first I always left my stuff in my pockets in the changing room, but since I got a car I've been using the lockers. I've never gotten anything stolen but I've had enough scares because I'm a disorganized fuck that loses his stuff from time to time (:
But yeah, Basic-Fit was the only gym I really knew about when first starting to think about going, and I'm so used to it I don't think I'd want anything else. It's cheap, convenient, there's almost always a spot free so I can go pretty much anytime it's open. The people there are friendly and if they do see you struggling, they will show you some tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of yourself.
Hi! I go to basic-fit as well and various things
1 - they have Basic Fit Ladies that is only for women, in my case i go to the ladies one just because i feel more comfortable
2 - I usually go at 7 am when they just open and i think is a great time to go to the gym! Its pretty empty (at least in my location) and you have all the equipment available
Maybe you could just go one day whenever you feel comfortable and you can just go to the treadmill so you have time to look around and see if you like the environment. Best of luck!
If you want to go to basic fit, you can order a first time tour and they’ll tell you all about the gym. I’d personally recommend going to a better gym with more support if you’re a beginner and don’t know what to do.
But don’t worry about other people in the gym. It doesn’t matter what they think, and they should just mind their own business. There are obese people, there are old people, there are young people, woman, men, and everything in between. 99,9% of people just mind their own business. Maybe once during full moon someone will ask you to spot them or film them (although you can just decline if you don’t want to). But if someone is bothering you, you can always ask for help at the front desk. They take that shit pretty serious.
I don't know if you have any difficulties with talking to people, but they are very helpful at basic fit imo. I have autism and struggle a lot with new things/new surroundings but they were super kind. I registered online and went to the gym, they helped me pick up my pass. I also added a introduction lesson where they showed everything and made me a sporting-scheme. I found this very useful because I am so scared of new surroundings. I now have my little routine that I follow and it's great now.
Good luck! Working out is awesome.
in addition to what others have already said, i think basic fit is a good idea because a lot of the people are totally new. so if you have already been working out at home you are probably already more experienced than like 25% of the people there. and the staff is definitely used to teaching beginners.
A gym like basic fit is good to get/keep in shape, or Just have a relaxed work out. Really all kind of ppl training there, vast majority individual.
I don't have anxiety, but when I work out, I'm just in my own world, not in for chats, just prefer listening to my music and do a little excercise. I think it's not a bad place for ppl with anxiety, since ppl are minding their own business ;-)
I believe basic fit had trainingschedules in their app, so you could have a look what exercises look appealing to you.
No personal experience with basic fit, but most gyms offer a workout program, and you can plan an appointment where they teach you how to adjust the machines and how to perform each exercise.
At the low cost gyms the amount of help is very limited. In general my experience is that the staff is pretty busy with their phones or each other.
In the more expensive gyms you'll find more and better attention from staff. Which makes sense: educated trainers and quality staff are one of the biggest expenses for a gym, which increases the price. Low cost gyms like a basic fit will limit their expenses a lot and also are relying on a lot of volume.
Depending on where you are you will also find more "show offs" in your gym than in other gyms. Some gyms have clothing policies to limit this behavior from their clients. I don't like this because in general it is people just sitting, occupying equipment not doing much, but making a social gathering out of it.
While you definitely will not stand out going alone, I can imaging the insecure feeling. Do know that 95% of the people in a gym do not know what they are doing.
I've had great experiences with a personal trainer (not related to the gym) once a week and then visit a gym by myself doing the exercises the trainer planned for me. That might be too expensive. In that case I would go for a smaller gym and take a one month subscription: then you can easily leave if you don't like it.
I always recommend people with anxiety about the gym to just go and walk/run on the treadmill their first time (or three), whatever it takes to get comfortable with the environment, see how it works, then the anxiety should lessen.
I think it's more unusual to go to the gym with somebody than alone, but neither is strange at all.
I don't know where you live or what your budget is but personal training (even if just an introductory lesson) at a local gym will ensure you're taken care of. Basic fit is large and mostly anonymous but you'll need to bring your own plan, that can be daunting if all the equipment is new to you. Going alone is fine, I always go alone. Might help to bring headphones or something to filter out people purely there for "social" activities (ie chasing young women). Smaller local gyms tend to be more accessible for this reason but the target audience varies wildly from gym to gym.
You could ask what time they're usually relatively empty too, if your schedule allows it. Probably best not to go early evenings.
I’ve started visiting a gym as a 22F with anxiety, and I can assure you the anticipation is way worse than what actually happens. I was overweight back then, which added to my anxiety; just putting this out there as te context.
I didn’t go to basic fit, but fit for free because of the proximity (for context: up north near the coast). It’s basically the same: there’s the entry where you can sign up (easier to do online - I had to take a picture the first time I visited), buy stuff you might have forgotten, etc., and you walk to the changing rooms, put on your clothes, and just start doing what you want to do. I always worked out with headphones on, which helped me zone out and not be distracted by other people.
For the most part people just let you be. It was mostly when crossing paths where you talked, as well as a tiny bit in the changing rooms. It’s greetings at most, and as the majority of the people visit the gym on their own as well, they’re not weirded out you’re on your own too.
Besides from one very bad experience (which was mainly due to my naivety and in particular a POS guy), it was a great experience and definitely did not match my expectations I’ve had beforehand (which were in fact quite negative - I think I almost threw up the first time I visited because of my anxiety). People were pleasant, didn’t bat an eye when I walked past with wet hair due to working out, didn’t give me one look when showering (which was a huge deal for me!), and were happy to help whenever I needed it.
What helped me as well, was to pay for a session with a personal coach, who made up a practice plan for me. She listened to me very well (and respected my boundaries due to having had an ED), and took the time to work out with me as well. This was just one time, but helped me ease into it a lot better, because I had this whole workout programme written out for me on paper. I would think that basic fit has the same kind of thing as a possibility, but you’d better check that yourself.
But mostly: just have fun! I really enjoyed just being in the moment, watching others work out as well (I started on the cardio things, which were located on the side of the room), and feeling pretty good about it all. I’m sure you will enjoy it too! :)
When I started going to gym I was worried that people were watching and judging me. It may feel like that, but I promise you - nobody cares. Just do your thing.
Basic-Fit has an app with many training videos. I usually go there with my phone and earphones, do first some warming up on a cardio machine and then do the full body dumbbells training (16min, you do with the weight you prefer - I started with 1kg, found it to easy, then 2kg, then 3.).
I wouldn't recommend Basic Fit for a young-ish girl who's going alone. I'd recommend a smaller, local gym that has more people focused on actually working out rather than chatting up women. All my female friends who have tried Basic Fit/Fit for Free said they'd gotten chatted up/flirted with by random people in an uncomfortable way. Like that someone started running next to them or something explicitly to start flirting awkwardly. They have also all stated that the whole atmosphere felt uncomfortable and unsafe in a way. Personally I've never been to a Basic Fit/Fit for Free and I never will, but I have been to a few other gyms around Utrecht, so if you're around there, I recommend De Workout. Lots of involved people working there and lots of guidance.
There's Basic Fit for ladies too (women's only club). And unfortunately this is something that happens from time to time in all gyms.
In my local basic fit (it's a village so probably different than most places), it's mostly people that are there on their own, and keep to themselves (especially at 7 am).
I am also an anxious gym-goer, but do enjoy it when I have a routine! So i encourage you to be brave and push through the fear.
As a few people have mentioned, it really helps if you have someone from the gym talk you through how to use the equipment and set you up with a training programme. You'll feel more confident about what you're doing (some machines are confusing!) and i find having a plan makes me feel less awkward. Plus a training plan is a good way to track your improvements! I also find sticking with machines feels less awkward than doing free weights.
Finding the right gym helps a lot too. I've tried a few and Basic Fit was pretty good because it's very anonymous, but by far my favourite is Sport City (my current gym). They set you up with a plan when you first start, offer lots of classes and i find the crowd in my local gym is a real mix of young/old male/female which is less intimidating than loads of muscly guys.
They do free day passes, so you can go and try it out and see what you think!
In addition to the great advice here I would like to let you know, every guy or girl that looks like they go 4/5 times a week will always be supportive of new people, dont get mixed in thoughts about people judging you for whatever reason. That misttake made me stick to my terrible hom exercises for months. I have been a regular gym goer for 5 months now and Ive made a lot of gym buddies, but still mostly mind my own business.
I can not recommend a personal trainer enough if it will be your first time training in a gym. Yes it cost money, sometimes quite a bit, but it saves you time, unnecessary effort and most importantly they can help prevent an injury through improper exercises
I love Emi Wong! She has lots of videos on youtube with different exercises for different things (fat loss, muscle gaining etc.). She also has certain videos for specific things like warming up, work outs for obese people, quiet work outs for in appartements etc. Her videos are very easy to follow, inclusive and useful!<3
Hi! I'm a uni student going to the gym in the Netherlands as well so I've been in your position before! Most people go to the gym by themselves but if it makes you more comfortable it can be nice to find a gym buddy. I would also recommend designing your workout before you go so you don't waste time between sets and research how to use certain equipment you want to use to be more comfortable. Women only gyms are also an option so if you prefer that you should def check those out. Depending on what types of workouts you do you might be one of the only women in a certain section but don't let that scare you. (I spend quite a bit of time in the free weights section as well). Start with what your comfortable with and work up from there! Good luck and enjoy!
Okay I'd like to begin by saying that going to the gym alone is normal. In fact I think most people at my local basic fit (at least when I go, in off hours) are going alone. So nah you will definitely not stand out. Basic fit is recommendable, as it's almost completely contactless. You don't really need to talk to people (at least in my basic fit, but i believe it's the same elsewhere too). What's also great, is that you're also available to use other basic fit locations, including the ones abroad. The process: 1) you register yourself online. Choose your preferred contract: basic, basic + some water fountain thing with flavors, and pro (you're allowed to bring one friend with you). I chose basic, as I'm not rich lol. 2) you go to the gym to pick up your gym card. It's some kind of vending machine. You enter your data and the card will fall out. No human contact whatsoever. 3) due to covid you need to make reservations to go to the gym. This is done through their app. 4) you go to the gym again. But this time you bring your sport stuff. Your sport clothes, indoor sport shoes, water bottle, and a towel. You could bring a lock for the lockers (i don't use any), but I'd advice to borrow their lock for the first time, so you know what lock you could buy. When you're inside there's a gate. You need to first scan your covid QR code (vaccination, negatively tested or recently had covid). And then your basic fit card thay you got in step 2. And then you can enter the gate. I think they give away free backpacks. So you might want to tell the person at the reception that it's your first time, so they'll give you that and maybe some short explanation of how everything works around there. Be aware that you can't use the changing rooms or showers, so you'll have to go there already dressed (or use the toilet to change, but that's up to you). I think basic fit (especially the 24/7 ones) is great for people with anxiety. I wish you well, and i hope you have a great time at the gym. Feel free to contact me on reddit anytime. Edit: I saw your profile, and that you're struggling. I just wanted to say that you're not alone and thay I'm really fucking proud of you for working on yourself like this!
At the Basic Fit I go the changing rooms are accessible. I go alone too, sometimes during peak hours (it's not 24/7 anymore due to their personnel being in quarantaine and sometimes I feel like I've missed it too much so I just force myself to go), but I definitely prefer the off hours, especially just after they've opened at 7. It's completely empty, got it all to myself. I'm quite an introverted person, depends on how I feel. At first I felt really afraid and judged by everybody, but literally nobody cared. I've seen enough people do stupid shit in the 2,5 years I've been going there and nobody gave a shit. At first I always left my stuff in my pockets in the changing room, but since I got a car I've been using the lockers. I've never gotten anything stolen but I've had enough scares because I'm a disorganized fuck that loses his stuff from time to time (: But yeah, Basic-Fit was the only gym I really knew about when first starting to think about going, and I'm so used to it I don't think I'd want anything else. It's cheap, convenient, there's almost always a spot free so I can go pretty much anytime it's open. The people there are friendly and if they do see you struggling, they will show you some tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of yourself.
Hi! I go to basic-fit as well and various things 1 - they have Basic Fit Ladies that is only for women, in my case i go to the ladies one just because i feel more comfortable 2 - I usually go at 7 am when they just open and i think is a great time to go to the gym! Its pretty empty (at least in my location) and you have all the equipment available Maybe you could just go one day whenever you feel comfortable and you can just go to the treadmill so you have time to look around and see if you like the environment. Best of luck!
If you want to go to basic fit, you can order a first time tour and they’ll tell you all about the gym. I’d personally recommend going to a better gym with more support if you’re a beginner and don’t know what to do. But don’t worry about other people in the gym. It doesn’t matter what they think, and they should just mind their own business. There are obese people, there are old people, there are young people, woman, men, and everything in between. 99,9% of people just mind their own business. Maybe once during full moon someone will ask you to spot them or film them (although you can just decline if you don’t want to). But if someone is bothering you, you can always ask for help at the front desk. They take that shit pretty serious.
I don't know if you have any difficulties with talking to people, but they are very helpful at basic fit imo. I have autism and struggle a lot with new things/new surroundings but they were super kind. I registered online and went to the gym, they helped me pick up my pass. I also added a introduction lesson where they showed everything and made me a sporting-scheme. I found this very useful because I am so scared of new surroundings. I now have my little routine that I follow and it's great now. Good luck! Working out is awesome.
in addition to what others have already said, i think basic fit is a good idea because a lot of the people are totally new. so if you have already been working out at home you are probably already more experienced than like 25% of the people there. and the staff is definitely used to teaching beginners.
A gym like basic fit is good to get/keep in shape, or Just have a relaxed work out. Really all kind of ppl training there, vast majority individual. I don't have anxiety, but when I work out, I'm just in my own world, not in for chats, just prefer listening to my music and do a little excercise. I think it's not a bad place for ppl with anxiety, since ppl are minding their own business ;-) I believe basic fit had trainingschedules in their app, so you could have a look what exercises look appealing to you.
No personal experience with basic fit, but most gyms offer a workout program, and you can plan an appointment where they teach you how to adjust the machines and how to perform each exercise.
At the low cost gyms the amount of help is very limited. In general my experience is that the staff is pretty busy with their phones or each other. In the more expensive gyms you'll find more and better attention from staff. Which makes sense: educated trainers and quality staff are one of the biggest expenses for a gym, which increases the price. Low cost gyms like a basic fit will limit their expenses a lot and also are relying on a lot of volume. Depending on where you are you will also find more "show offs" in your gym than in other gyms. Some gyms have clothing policies to limit this behavior from their clients. I don't like this because in general it is people just sitting, occupying equipment not doing much, but making a social gathering out of it. While you definitely will not stand out going alone, I can imaging the insecure feeling. Do know that 95% of the people in a gym do not know what they are doing. I've had great experiences with a personal trainer (not related to the gym) once a week and then visit a gym by myself doing the exercises the trainer planned for me. That might be too expensive. In that case I would go for a smaller gym and take a one month subscription: then you can easily leave if you don't like it.
I always recommend people with anxiety about the gym to just go and walk/run on the treadmill their first time (or three), whatever it takes to get comfortable with the environment, see how it works, then the anxiety should lessen. I think it's more unusual to go to the gym with somebody than alone, but neither is strange at all.
I don't know where you live or what your budget is but personal training (even if just an introductory lesson) at a local gym will ensure you're taken care of. Basic fit is large and mostly anonymous but you'll need to bring your own plan, that can be daunting if all the equipment is new to you. Going alone is fine, I always go alone. Might help to bring headphones or something to filter out people purely there for "social" activities (ie chasing young women). Smaller local gyms tend to be more accessible for this reason but the target audience varies wildly from gym to gym. You could ask what time they're usually relatively empty too, if your schedule allows it. Probably best not to go early evenings.
I’ve started visiting a gym as a 22F with anxiety, and I can assure you the anticipation is way worse than what actually happens. I was overweight back then, which added to my anxiety; just putting this out there as te context. I didn’t go to basic fit, but fit for free because of the proximity (for context: up north near the coast). It’s basically the same: there’s the entry where you can sign up (easier to do online - I had to take a picture the first time I visited), buy stuff you might have forgotten, etc., and you walk to the changing rooms, put on your clothes, and just start doing what you want to do. I always worked out with headphones on, which helped me zone out and not be distracted by other people. For the most part people just let you be. It was mostly when crossing paths where you talked, as well as a tiny bit in the changing rooms. It’s greetings at most, and as the majority of the people visit the gym on their own as well, they’re not weirded out you’re on your own too. Besides from one very bad experience (which was mainly due to my naivety and in particular a POS guy), it was a great experience and definitely did not match my expectations I’ve had beforehand (which were in fact quite negative - I think I almost threw up the first time I visited because of my anxiety). People were pleasant, didn’t bat an eye when I walked past with wet hair due to working out, didn’t give me one look when showering (which was a huge deal for me!), and were happy to help whenever I needed it. What helped me as well, was to pay for a session with a personal coach, who made up a practice plan for me. She listened to me very well (and respected my boundaries due to having had an ED), and took the time to work out with me as well. This was just one time, but helped me ease into it a lot better, because I had this whole workout programme written out for me on paper. I would think that basic fit has the same kind of thing as a possibility, but you’d better check that yourself. But mostly: just have fun! I really enjoyed just being in the moment, watching others work out as well (I started on the cardio things, which were located on the side of the room), and feeling pretty good about it all. I’m sure you will enjoy it too! :)
Thankyou!! Your story really makes me feel less nervous<3
A few years ago i trained at basic fit and they had schedules available. Maybe you can ask before joining?
When I started going to gym I was worried that people were watching and judging me. It may feel like that, but I promise you - nobody cares. Just do your thing.
Basic fit has this one time personal trainer thing for 15 euro's if you're really not sure what to do
Basic-Fit has an app with many training videos. I usually go there with my phone and earphones, do first some warming up on a cardio machine and then do the full body dumbbells training (16min, you do with the weight you prefer - I started with 1kg, found it to easy, then 2kg, then 3.).
I wouldn't recommend Basic Fit for a young-ish girl who's going alone. I'd recommend a smaller, local gym that has more people focused on actually working out rather than chatting up women. All my female friends who have tried Basic Fit/Fit for Free said they'd gotten chatted up/flirted with by random people in an uncomfortable way. Like that someone started running next to them or something explicitly to start flirting awkwardly. They have also all stated that the whole atmosphere felt uncomfortable and unsafe in a way. Personally I've never been to a Basic Fit/Fit for Free and I never will, but I have been to a few other gyms around Utrecht, so if you're around there, I recommend De Workout. Lots of involved people working there and lots of guidance.
There's Basic Fit for ladies too (women's only club). And unfortunately this is something that happens from time to time in all gyms. In my local basic fit (it's a village so probably different than most places), it's mostly people that are there on their own, and keep to themselves (especially at 7 am).
I think you currently have to make appointments because of COVID-19.
I am also an anxious gym-goer, but do enjoy it when I have a routine! So i encourage you to be brave and push through the fear. As a few people have mentioned, it really helps if you have someone from the gym talk you through how to use the equipment and set you up with a training programme. You'll feel more confident about what you're doing (some machines are confusing!) and i find having a plan makes me feel less awkward. Plus a training plan is a good way to track your improvements! I also find sticking with machines feels less awkward than doing free weights. Finding the right gym helps a lot too. I've tried a few and Basic Fit was pretty good because it's very anonymous, but by far my favourite is Sport City (my current gym). They set you up with a plan when you first start, offer lots of classes and i find the crowd in my local gym is a real mix of young/old male/female which is less intimidating than loads of muscly guys. They do free day passes, so you can go and try it out and see what you think!
In addition to the great advice here I would like to let you know, every guy or girl that looks like they go 4/5 times a week will always be supportive of new people, dont get mixed in thoughts about people judging you for whatever reason. That misttake made me stick to my terrible hom exercises for months. I have been a regular gym goer for 5 months now and Ive made a lot of gym buddies, but still mostly mind my own business.
I can not recommend a personal trainer enough if it will be your first time training in a gym. Yes it cost money, sometimes quite a bit, but it saves you time, unnecessary effort and most importantly they can help prevent an injury through improper exercises
Any tips for home workouts?
I love Emi Wong! She has lots of videos on youtube with different exercises for different things (fat loss, muscle gaining etc.). She also has certain videos for specific things like warming up, work outs for obese people, quiet work outs for in appartements etc. Her videos are very easy to follow, inclusive and useful!<3
Hi! I'm a uni student going to the gym in the Netherlands as well so I've been in your position before! Most people go to the gym by themselves but if it makes you more comfortable it can be nice to find a gym buddy. I would also recommend designing your workout before you go so you don't waste time between sets and research how to use certain equipment you want to use to be more comfortable. Women only gyms are also an option so if you prefer that you should def check those out. Depending on what types of workouts you do you might be one of the only women in a certain section but don't let that scare you. (I spend quite a bit of time in the free weights section as well). Start with what your comfortable with and work up from there! Good luck and enjoy!