Breaking down the walls of gym intimidation
By: KaLynn Yazzie
Tribal affiliation: Diné
Major: English (Writing, Rhetorics & Literacy)
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “mind over matter”? To be honest, I despise that statement. I started my fitness journey young, thanks to my brothers who encouraged me to weight lift the summer going into my junior year in high school. After that, the gym was my home. I enjoyed working out because I thought I was getting healthy and strengthening my body. However everything changed in my fall 2019 semester, when out of nowhere I was rushed from my home to the emergency room due to gallstones passing through my abdomen.
At the age of 16 is when my first gallstones developed. It was a painful experience that further inspired my wellness journey as a teenager. Yet six years later, despite eating healthy and exercising, I had to go into surgery to remove my gallbladder. What followed was a change in mindset on my perceptions of the gym. That surgery left a stain on my mental wellness and my relationships with gyms and weightlifting.
Faced with a traumatic event, I developed a fear of going back to the gym. I realized that I was not the only one who had fears of the gym. When I utilized the Sun Devil Fitness Centers, I noticed there were hardly any Native Americans there. I also heard Native Sun Devils express their fears and stigmas related to the gym and the weight-lifting areas. Walking into the gym for the first time is terrifying and intimidating, likewise when one has experienced a traumatic event. It took me time to understand how I felt– a mixture of frustration, self-doubt, hesitation and no motivation. Perhaps many other students are experiencing that same lack of motivation, especially with the self-isolation, social distancing and quarantining we were thrown into during the spring semester.
After opening up this discussion with others, I learned these feelings shouldn’t be viewed as excuses– it’s okay to feel intimidated. Everyone has to start somewhere. With being home and taking every day one day at a time, I decided to combat this gloomy cloud hovering over me. I live off of North Mountain in Phoenix so I began walking and hiking again. I went back to my roots of how I started my exercise wellness by doing cardio exercise. Running clears my mind and I get to spend my time with Mother Earth. During my walks and runs, I would rethink why the gym is so important to me. Gaining a bit of confidence about working out again, I still combat these fears and stigmas. I want to support myself and Native Sun Devils who have the same feelings.
Reframing gym intimidations & stigmas
“I feel like I’m the only girl there.”
To overcome the feeling like she was the only female in a male-dominated area, Orchestral Performance in Percussion major Lindsay DeLeon (Pascua Yaqui) reminds herself that she is there to improve her body’s strength and not to compete with anyone else. She works out with her sister because she feels “less inclined to think negatively” about the gender balance at the gym. “We empower each other to focus on ourselves to maximize our strength,” she said.
Wanting to workout with other women in a fun fitness class? SDFC in Tempe has a Women’s Workout Zone on Fridays to help empower women in the gym by teaching exercise movements that help build a strong foundation to energize a good workout.
“Everyone is staring at me.”
Though it might seem like everyone is looking at your movements and body at the gym, in reality we are all just looking at ourselves or checking to see if someone else is finished with the equipment or a specific spot. If you’re like me, spacing out at the gym and looking at the wrong area might seem like I’m checking someone out. But the stares shouldn’t matter. We are all there for the same goal of getting healthy and making them gains! Just keep pumping away and showing those weights who’s boss.
“There are no Natives or students like me there.”
Acknowledge and help one another. Talk about your weightlifting journeys and maybe assist each other in performing a movement. This showcases the positive and supportive community that gyms actually are. Ask for help or assistance. The welcoming fitness community provides guidance for each other in the gym. Need a spotter? Mechanical Engineering major Isaiah Johnson (Diné) and Electrical Engineer major Erin Brown (Diné) often assist other students in the gym.
“I need to wear expensive athletic wear to fit in.”
Interdisciplinary Studies in Business and Sociology major Garrett Begay (Diné) acknowledges there is a cultural barrier when it comes to dress codes at gyms. Regardless, remember: flip flops aren’t allowed on the weightlifting areas. Also note that there is no “proper” gym attire. You’re expected to sweat, so wear clothing that is comfortable for you, whether that be in an old t-shirt or a $50 Nike shirt.
“The gym is always packed”
“You rarely notice others around you,” Johnson said. “It’s a really packed place but with the right people there, whether that’s your friends or in my case, my barbell team, it seems like you’re the only one there.”
Don’t want to go to gyms when they’re packed? Try going when they’re less congested. West and Polytechnic SDFCs are ideal locations as smaller communities. I love ASU’s Downtown Phoenix gym because it’s partnered with the YMCA so students have access to both downstairs weightlifting areas.
“I need to spend two hours there every day.”
“When first starting your fitness journey, it’s best to take your time and not spend many hours overdoing it. Lifting hard and heavy all the time does not work well at all,” Andrea Tso Holt (Diné) said. “A more experienced fitness person would spend about this much time at the gym. But again, we all learn and grow at a different pace.”
Diné fitness enthusiast Andrea Tso Holt’s tips to wellness
Limited budget? Workout outside for free.
“There are plenty of local short trails, track fields and bleachers you can find in the city. Outdoors there are rocks that can be used for weights, or different objects that nature offers, such as wood, trees, logs, and more. I highly encourage outdoor workouts because it helps to disconnect from our modern lifestyle and helps us reconnect with the land, spirits, ancestors, animals, silence, and our inner spirit.”
Research online resources
“There are also online resources that offer free programs such as bodyweight exercises.”
Stay consistent
“To this day I still feel lost if I don’t have a program I’m following. That’s how you will grow.”
Maintain a healthy mind set
“It’s not even just the workouts; it is about having a focused, healthy mindset. When we want to grow, we have to grow within ourselves first. Love life, love our progress and love ourselves on being healthy. It all starts within your mind, body and soul. Having a strong healthy mindset and goals for a positive lifestyle.”
I am grateful to my brothers for teaching me gym etiquette and how to carry myself with confidence in the weightlifting areas, no matter which gym I entered. Even if your goal of going to the gym wasn’t just for fun, you will soon know how fun it truly is being at the gym. If you would like a workout partner, I’m your girl. In the meantime, we can just start with walking and wholefully think about why wellness is important to you.
To find out more information about programs and services, visit: fitness.asu.edu/home
