Why The Natural High of Working Out Can Intimidate Some People

Part of the reason I wanted to start MooreFitLiving.TV is to bring what I do — personal training at a high level — to a wider group of people online. Part of the reason people come online looking for gym workouts is because it’s tough to just head into a gym and know exactly what to do. It doesn’t really work that way, so people look for other options.

Take a book to the gym with you? Videos on your iPhone that show you how to do the workouts? Hire a trainer? All of these are good options, but none of them tackle a fundamental issue that new gym-goers really often face: getting over the idea of the gym as ‘intimidating’.

The Science of Post-Workout Confidence

I’ve already written about why gyms aren’t inherently intimidating places in the first place, but I was thinking more about the issue and realized something else.

See, something strange happens when you go to the gym and finish a workout — you feel damn good about yourself, and this translates physically. While it’s great for the person who’s just put the weights down, it can be a little off-putting for a gym ‘newbie’.

So this article is for those of you who are new to gyms and wonder why everyone seems to be acting extra cocky, but also for those of you who want to make your gyms friendly to newcomers.

Being In Full Possession of Your Body

After a really solid workout, you’ll be able to feel muscles and parts of your body that might have been lying dormant for a few days. Suddenly, everything feels more powerful, and you feel far more in control of those arms, those legs, and that torso that are all attached to your head.

It’s a bit intoxicating — the natural high I referred to in the title — and often, it changes our behavior in tiny-but-crucial ways (no matter what our gender). Suddenly we’re standing up straighter, or we’re subconsciously puffing out our chest a bit without knowing it. We’re talking slightly louder and because we’ve just finished giving our muscles a thorough workout, we’re moving in a more deliberate, clear fashion.

These are all ages-old biological signals of confidence, virility, and primacy, and it’s no coincidence that we exude them — even if we don’t think about them — after a workout.

Endorphins Are Essential

Connected to this are those special chemicals called endorphins, released in our brain after some solid physical exertion. They do a few things — they help perpetuate the behavior I was talking about above, because we’re feeling good, powerful, strong, and confident — and they make us happier.

That’s one of the best things about working out regularly — it’s an objective, clear way to increase your happiness. Sure, people new to a gym, lacking confidence, and unsure about what to do might be intimidated by this, but if you ask anyone in great shape if they would ever trade that post-workout high — I bet you they’d all say no.

That’s why it’s not always an issue of changing the gym to meet the needs of new and inexperienced gym-goers, it’s more about being open, approachable, and almost evangelistic about that natural high you get after a workout. You don’t want to diminish that — you want to encourage it in other people.

Some Advice

So — if you’re a regular gym-goer, remember, the next time you see someone struggling and trying to figure out a machine, and you’re feeling great after your third, kick-ass workout of that week, help them out. Remind them how great it feels to really bust through a tough workout and come out full of energy on the other side.

And if you’re just starting out at the gym — remember not to be thrown off by the ‘swagger’ of all those people who seem to know what they’re doing. It’s natural, it’s a great feeling, and soon you’ll be experiencing it, too.