The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article was written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Aberdeen branch.
How the gym improved my mental health
Gyms are scary places for a lot of people. And if you’re one of those people – someone who wants to start going to the gym but is worried about the environment – I want to reassure you there’s nothing to be scared of. Here’s my experience.
For most of my life, I was unhappy with my weight and the way I looked. My self-esteem and body confidence were at rock bottom and I also didn’t have a great relationship with food (but that’s a story for another day). All of this took a huge toll on my mental health and made me feel miserable. At this stage in my life, many of my days were filled with tears and self-criticism and I honestly just felt bad for myself. It’s fair to say I was in a terrible place mentally. That’s when I decided to speak up and get help.
I was referred to counselors to help me deal with my body image issues and the anxiety that came with it. Unfortunately, I felt their advice wasn’t what I needed. (Please keep in mind this is my personal experience. If you are experiencing mental health issues, seek the help you need. It will work for you.) The counselor’s advice was to remove all the mirrors from my house so that I would stop obsessing about my appearance. I’d bought an expensive vanity mirror the previous Christmas, so that never happened. I was also encouraged to have tea and go for walks. Sure, those are nice things to do, but walking in public never felt very comfortable, especially alone. I felt like the counselling sessions weren’t achieving anything. I felt like I wasn’t taking any real steps towards change. So I decided to stop attending sessions and do something about it myself. After all, it’s my life. I can control it.
In September 2022, I sent an inquiry to a local personal trainer who was accepting one-on-one clients. I received a response immediately and was able to start training with her within a few days. This was a new beginning.
I used to have a personal training session every Thursday morning before school. I was guided through different workouts and it really helped me feel more confident in the gym. My trainer, Siobhan, was very relaxed and really listened to any queries or concerns I had and pushed me to do my best. If you’re new to the gym, having a personal trainer makes it less intimidating as you have a friendly face to guide you. Any questions you have are answered. If you’re unsure about the equipment or exercises, they’re explained and demonstrated to you. I felt a lot more confident in myself and my abilities. I then started going to the gym on other days of the week and my confidence just kept growing.
Weeks turned into months, and I, like many others, began to see (and still see) changes not only physically but mentally. I had more energy, my skin cleared up, I felt more confident in myself and my body. My life was so much better.
Fast forward to today, and the gym is still where I spend most of my time (with rest days, of course). What was once a very scary and nerve-wracking place has now become a second home for me. I know it would have seemed crazy to me to say this back then, but I love the gym. When I’m there, I feel like I’m in my own little world, and I’m just focused on myself. A few years ago, the main reason I was hesitant to step foot in a gym was because I was scared that people would look at me and judge me. But I realized that’s not the case. Everyone is in their own little world, and they’re just focused on themselves. Going to the gym and having a personal trainer helped me have a whole new mindset, and I’m so grateful for that.
Since I started going to the gym, I have a whole new lifestyle: I go for walks every day, I eat much healthier, my mood has improved dramatically, and whereas for a while life was just tolerable, now I enjoy it.
