17 Super Helpful Tips For Anyone Who's Terrified Of The Gym

You can’t decide what you’re going to do at the gym if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve. Write down a couple goals — lose body fat, become a faster runner, get a stronger booty, whatever — and then you’ll be able to figure out exactly what you need to do to get there. "People are more likely to meet their goals when they have them specifically written out," Kerulis tells BuzzFeed Life.

You can use apps like My Fitness Pal or Fitnet to help keep track of your goals and monitor your progress.

On top of the gym being accessible and affordable, Kerulis suggests checking out the cleanliness of each gym, the friendliness of the staff, the types of classes they offer, and other things that will affect your everyday experiences there. Will someplace pretty and new make you feel more comfortable? Or would the dark concrete vibe be more inspiring? Your gym should be somewhere you actually enjoy spending time.

Take the time to talk to people at the front desk. Are they smiling and saying hi? Are they willing to help? If you'd rather people keep their distance and let you do your thing then that’s great, too. Just make sure the vibe is what you want.

"They have smaller environments and tend to be less intimidating because they're a bit more friendly and personalized," Kerulis says. "At a mainstream gym, you won't have an instructor greeting you and helping you through a class."

Specialty or boutique gyms like Soul Cycle, Core Power Yoga, and Shred 415 tend to run on the more expensive side, but may be worth it if you want the individual attention and close-knit environment.

You might be more likely to try out that ridiculous ab-crunchy-spinny-looking machine if you're with a friend (and not afraid to laugh about the fact that you have no idea what it actually does). "A workout buddy is such a value to have," Kerulis says. "If they have a little bit of experience that's great because they can help you through the learning process. But even if you’re both newbies it's awesome because you're in it together."

Ask the staff when their peak hours are so you can either prepare for it or avoid the gym altogether during those times. It's generally more crowded in the early morning, around noon, and between 5-7 p.m., says Kerulis. So work around that if you want to avoid crowds and have a slightly less intimidating environment.

"Training for something fun, maybe a 5k, will not only give you something to work towards but it will also show the progress you're making," Kerulis says. "It could be what motivates you to push past the anxiety."

It can be something as simple as these cool headbands from Etsy, or this totally rad workout top from Target. "Just looking good will give you more confidence and take away some of the anxiety," Lanier says. "Motivate yourself by wearing a new outfit. Buy a pair of new sneakers. You always feel better with a new pair of sneakers on."

Don't concern yourself with the person lifting more than you or running faster than you or getting the moves down before you. "You don't know everyone else's story or how they got to where they are today," says Kerulis. "So stay concentrated on your own workout and your own progress."

"Your journey is not their journey," Lanier adds. "And your starting point is a different point in their timeline. Where they are and where you are, are two different places. You can't compare yourself to someone else. You have to accept the fact that you're each on your own path."