Fitness for introverts

Find a Workout for Your Personality Type

by Darius Felix, on Mar 28, 2017 12:17:57 PM

Knowing whether you are an introvert or an extrovert can help determine what type of fitness plan/program will work best for you. Contrary to popular belief, being an introvert doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a shy person. Although introversion does have elements of apprehension, nervousness, and shyness, it essentially means that a person gets their energy from being alone or in a small group. They also tend to have their energy drained by too much external stimulation, such as being around a large group of people for too long. Therefore, if a person is not aware of their personality type, he or she may come to believe something is wrong with them when an exercise program does little to help them accomplish their goals.

The first step to discovering whether you are an introvert is to look at common behavioral habits of introverts all over the world.

You Might Be an Introvert If…

Here are 5 of 23 signs that you may be an introvert via the Huffington Post (click here to see the full list):

You find small talk incredibly troublesome.
You often feel alone in a crowd.
You’re easily distracted.
Downtime doesn’t feel unproductive to you.
You shut down after you’ve been active for too long.

Best Workout Tips for People Who Prefer Solitude

If you identify yourself as an introvert, consider a few things before planning a fitness program.

Find smaller groups or solo exercise. The first thing you may want to consider is that introverts typically don’t need to interact as much with other people in order to gain energy. Therefore, things such as group exercise may not be necessary (unless you genuinely enjoy them). Solo or small-group exercise—such as yoga, swimming, and small group training—or working out with a partner are typically the best options for many introverts. Working out alone provides enough energy and focus for the individual to have a successful workout. This does not mean occasional group exercise is a bad idea, however, since introverts alternate between periods of solitude and social interaction.
Keep workouts short. You may also want to consider that since introverts become energy deficient when exposed to external stimulation for too long, it’s a good idea to keep your workouts short and effective. This will allow for an efficient use of your energy systems without feeling drained. Exercise methods such as High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) provide extremely effective workouts without you having to spend a lot of time doing them.
Use your brain power. Lastly, did you know that an introvert’s brain is wired differently than an extrovert’s? It has been proven that introverts have more gray matter in their prefrontal cortex, which is the area associated with decision-making. This means introverts devote more brain power to analysis, which you can use to your advantage. If you want to get in shape, start by using the power of your brain to do research and analyze the data that you find. Read, write, think, and reflect on topics that pertain to your specific goals. The more you learn and understand exactly what needs to be done, the more likely you are to stick with your program and become successful with it.

One of the most important aspects of an exercise program’s effectiveness tends to be how well it is catered to the individual. There is no one-size-fits-all program. Different people have different requirements when it comes to exercise programming. See a NIFS Health and Fitness Specialist today if you are in need of a program that fits YOU!

This blog was written by Darius Felix, Health Fitness Instructor. Click here for more information about the NIFS bloggers.

Topics: NIFS exercise group training workout personality type introvert

How to Survive Going to the Gym When You’re an Introvert

All that noise? All those people? Gyms can be an introvert’s definition of hell on earth!

If you want to get fit, lose weight, build muscle, or tone up, going to the gym can help. Gyms have all the space and equipment you need to reach your fitness goals. However, if you are introverted, the prospect of going into a room full of sweaty strangers can be very off-putting.

And, to make matters worse, while you are sweating and contorting your body in undignified ways, it’s very likely that someone will try to engage you in small talk. While usually well-meaning, such an advance can be enough to make you want to pack up and go home, especially if it’s a common occurrence.

To get any benefit from exercise, you need to do it often, and that means hitting the gym several times a week. If you find the entire gym environment off-putting, that’s a lot of stress to have to deal with. It could even be enough to put you off going for good, which will make it harder to reach your fitness goals.

I’m a long-term introverted exerciser, and I know firsthand how uncomfortable unsolicited conversation makes me feel. If you feel the same way, here are my top seven strategies for making going to the gym easier for us introverts.

1. Familiarize yourself with the facilities before your first workout.

If you’re in the market for a new gym, once you have chosen somewhere you like, spend a few minutes exploring the facility so when you come back to work out, you know exactly where everything is. That way, when you return, you should feel more comfortable and are less likely to have to ask for directions to the bathroom or group exercise studio — something many of us introverts hate.

2. Plan your workout in advance.

If you’re anything like me, the idea of asking for help is almost unbearable. I’d rather spend an hour driving around in circles than ask a stranger for directions! Also, if you look a little lost in a gym, invariably, someone will come up to you and offer well-meaning if unsolicited advice. That’s something else that can make an introvert feel uncomfortable.

You can avoid both of these problems by arriving for your workout with a plan. Go online and find a workout that’s right for your current fitness level and training goals. Next, fire up YouTube and check some instructional videos so you know how to do your chosen exercises.

Having done your homework, you can now cruise through your workout like a boss — and without having to resort to asking an instructor for help or looking lost.

3. Arrive ready for your workout, then shower at home.

Gym changing rooms are often full of people passing the time idly chatting about nothing very important. This mindless chatter is part-and-parcel of most group environments but can make us introverts feel self-conscious and uncomfortable.

Avoid this danger zone by arriving at the gym in your workout clothes and then, if possible, heading home for your shower. This may necessitate a quick change of t-shirt to save staining your car seat with sweat, but that’s a small price to pay for avoiding unwanted small talk.

4. Wear headphones.

Nothing protects you from unwanted interactions like wearing headphones while you work out. It’s generally accepted that other gym users should avoid talking to people wearing headphones. It’s the fitness world equivalent of a porcupine raising its spines!

Wearing headphones also allows you to drown out the usually bland and generic music that most gyms pump out 24/7. The right music can enhance every aspect of your workout, and it’s a real joy to know that every song on your specially procured playlist is one that you love.

5. Try the “one set and done” workout method.

If you lift weights, you probably do several sets of each exercise in your program. Maybe you do three sets of ten reps, four sets of eight, or two sets of 20. It all depends on the programs you are following.

It’s unlikely that anyone will roll up on you and start a conversation while you’re exercising. However, when you stop to rest between sets, your defenses are down, and you are a prime target for some banal conversation. It can be hard to break off these uninvited chats without seeming rude, even though your two minutes of rest are up, and you really want to get back to your workout.

Avoid this problem by using the “one set and done” workout method. In simple terms, become a workout butterfly and move from one exercise to the next after only doing one set. This makes you a continually moving target — and one that’s hard to ambush with unwanted chitchat.

This method is ideal for beginners and those of us training for weight loss. However, if you are into bodybuilding-type training, this method may not work well for you.

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6. Be an off-peaker if you can.

Even if you put these tips into action, you may still find yourself in a crowded, noisy gym where everyone except you seems to be super fit and knows exactly what they are doing. This can be intimidating and could even be enough to put you off the gym for good.

Avoid being made to feel like this by hitting the gym during off-peak hours. Most gyms publish attendance figures so you can see when they are busiest. If you can, go when the gym is quietest. This may mean going at unsociable times, such as very early in the morning or late in the evening, but you’ll be rewarded with a much more relaxed workout atmosphere.

7. Consider alternative introvert-friendly workouts.

While gyms are great places to exercise, as an introvert, you may decide that you feel so uncomfortable that you’d prefer not to put yourself in that position day after day and week after week. I don’t blame you!

The good news is there are lots of ways you can work out, get fit, lose weight, and tone up that are ideally suited to introverts. Good examples include:

Walking, jogging, and running
Kayaking and paddleboarding
Cycling
Swimming
Rollerblading

Alternatively, you can set up a home gym relatively cheaply and work out in peace on your own. If you have the space, you should be able to get everything you need for no more than a couple of years’ worth of gym membership. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can have a great at-home workout with nothing more than an exercise mat, a jump rope, and some cheap resistance bands. If you’re new to working out, search for beginner friendly workouts on YouTube and follow along.

If you care about your health, exercise should be part of your lifestyle. However, being an introvert can make some types of exercise uncomfortable. I’ve worked in and around gyms most of my adult life, and I still feel self-conscious and wary when I go to the gym. I have no doubt that a lot of other exercisers feel exactly the same way.

I hope these tips help you make the gym more introvert-friendly. And if it doesn’t work, it’s good to know you can always work out alone at home or go for a walk or jog instead. Introverts, what tips would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments.

Fitness for introverts: 5 reasons for online training

by Tatiana Topilina

in Fitness

Are you an introvert by nature and don't like large crowds of people? Want to pump your body for the summer, but have not yet opened the season of outdoor training due to the weather? Do you break into a cold sweat when you think about buying a membership to a fitness club? Get online workouts. AnySports guarantees you will be comfortable.

No need to chase the crowd

You will be able to work at a pace that suits you, and you will be able to complete the same level of training as many times as you feel comfortable. In addition, you will not have a feeling of panic from the fact that the coach will constantly enter into tactile contact with you, if something does not work out for you - you will be given competent advice from a distance.

You will have your own personal fitness equipment

If you work out at home, you will definitely not get an old sweaty mat that will keep you from focusing on your workout. You won't have to worry about wiping down the handrails of your treadmill with disinfectant wipes or worrying about treating your foot fungus after barefoot yoga. You will have your favorite equipment - proven and convenient!

On the topic:

Fitness at the house in 10 minutes: Exercises for the entire body
Perfect buttocks: 5 best exercises for home training
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You don't have to be friends forcibly

The danger of "falling into" unnecessary friendships is especially great in group training, when one of the newcomers, noticing your progress, decides that they can turn to you for mentoring. Or vice versa: having noticed the imperfection of your technique, he will begin to give advice, becoming an intermediary between you and the coach.

Also, you don't have to join in the ladies' sparse conversations in the recreation area or discuss politics with naked men in the steam room. You can enter into communication on topics that concern you personally with the course curator or by selecting someone from the stream for private correspondence in the chat.

The coach will not focus everyone's attention on your mistakes

Of course, you will work for the result. And here it is important that the coach corrects and gives hints. But when a coach at a fitness club starts to distinguish you from the rest, two dangers arise:

you feel embarrassed, you can no longer concentrate on the exercises;
those with whom you do not crave communication will definitely want to be friends with you (see the previous paragraph).

In the format of online training, you can analyze all the nuances you are interested in both in correspondence with the trainer and by watching the video with the analysis of the exercises.

Full Body Online Workouts with Hollywood Fitness Instructor Jim Barcena are here!

You will not be stressed out by naked bodies in the locker room and in the shower

Another introvert's nightmare is not just closeness, but extreme closeness with strangers. You and they are in a cramped room, no underwear. If you choose online training, you do not have to hide in the far corner of the shower, so as not to look at all the variety of body shapes. And you will not bashfully wrap yourself in a towel, balancing on one leg, putting on underwear.

When exercising at home, you can choose a convenient time for your workouts, as well as adapt fitness tasks to your level of training. You can study to your favorite music and take time to meditate - the perfect stress-free workout!

Photo: bigstock.com

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Sports for an introvert - latest articles and interesting information

Sports training is not always associated with the need to be in noisy crowded places. Five ideas for those who would rather train alone.

It is not easy for an introvert to find his place in sports, since most disciplines are accompanied by group programs and constant being surrounded by strangers. If this circumstance confuses you, then you do not need to abandon sports development. We present for your assessment five types of training, each of which reduces contact with people to a minimum.

Most sports disciplines are not suitable for introverts, if a person experiences stress in an atmosphere of noise, unnecessary conversations, filled space, then training in such conditions is definitely not suitable for him. If an occupation leads to a state of anxiety and nervousness, then it should be abandoned, because the emotional and physiological state of a person are inextricably linked. Skip the groups and organize a class for yourself.

Running

Each run is a feeling of freedom and independence, without getting rid of stress and negative thoughts, it allows you to put your thoughts in order. It's up to you to decide how your workout will go - to the sounds of the surrounding area or to your favorite music in the headphones. With musical accompaniment, training goes unnoticed, but the main thing is that the headphones allow you to completely abstract yourself from others.

Home workouts with a virtual trainer

Downloading a video course with a set of exercises is much easier than going to the gym. At home, you can burn calories in the same way and make your muscles stronger. This workout belongs only to you, at any time you can turn on or pause the virtual trainer, repeat the desired exercise several times until it starts to work out. Home workouts save you from the annoying attention of gym visitors.

Swimming

Just being in the water element helps to relax and distract from everything that worried you before. And if you pick up hours with a minimum number of visitors and choose a free lane for yourself, then swimming will bring real pleasure. The next 45 minutes you will be surrounded by only one water.

Personal training

This is the most effective way to train an introvert, you can do it not only in the gym, but also in the fresh air, in the office or at home. Choose a coach that you like, and he will do the rest of the work for you - he will select the right program and will make adjustments to it if necessary. The coach will be able to pay attention to you alone, that is, to notice and correct mistakes in time, to guide you on the path of progress.

Cycling

If you have a bicycle, then walking on it will not only be a great workout, but also a little personal adventure. For those who do not plan to get a bike, we can recommend the now very popular cycling studios. Special equipment creates an imitation of a bike ride, a personal program is selected for each person, and thanks to the use of virtual reality, training turns into a journey through forests, mountains or deserts. Cycling is an opportunity to keep fit in a virtual reality environment, and if privacy is more suitable for you, then these conditions will be simulated for your activity.

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