The sweat, the stares, the selfies, the grunting monsters who own the weight room – this kind of atmosphere many large gyms incubate is often very intimidating. Perhaps you have learned to cope with this type of atmosphere, but did you ever consider that your overall wellness could fall victim to these toxic exercise environments? Savvy gym owner, Wayne Finn, noticed this downward spiral, and has created Drake’s Gym: London’s first PT studio since 2005. Its atmosphere is unrecognisable from large commercial gyms as it touts its intimate, friendly, goal-oriented, and bespoke approach to fitness. There is a sincere method to Finn’s personal training studio, and here is why it matters.
Large commercial gyms could induce anxiety. Here is how to spot it:
Lani Lawrence, a psychologist for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) describes social gym anxiety, “[When you compare] yourself to everyone else— it involves a lot of over-thinking, worrying, and negative thoughts and self-talk.” This is a common side effect within large gym environments, especially if you are just beginning your fitness journey. This type of stress is not only unhealthy for your mental state but also hinders your physical performance.
Your performance could be struggling due to a toxic gym atmosphere:
With time and energy spent worrying about what other people are thinking, you could be missing out on your workout’s full potential. Whether you are unsure of how to use various machines at the gym, worried about the side effects of a hard workout (sweat, redness, etc) or feel like you don’t belong, all of these factors distract your precious exercise time. Working out in an intimate personal studio with access to state-of-the-art equipment and, more importantly, someone who understands YOUR transformation goals, will maximise your performance, efficiency and results. PT sessions in a bespoke personal studio will give you all of the tools to work smarter, not harder.
Perform better with a sense of community:
It can often feel a bit alienating when walking into a gym where everyone looks like they are apart of it and you, well, don’t! Research has proven humans thrive when they have a sense of belonging, or feel connected to those around them (Stutz, 2012). Psychiatrist Phil Stutz mentions in his book, Tools, “People who have community are known to live healthier lives both physically and mentally.” Far too often the front desk attendant – if there even is one – doesn’t bother to say hello or learn your name after months of membership. For many, even a small sense of community could go a long way (there is a reason why Time Out calls London ‘The Lonely City’).
Imagine the potential for your workout time when you have established a certain camaraderie with your personal trainer who is working towards YOUR transformational fitness goals. Drakes Gym member’s have an unprecedented retention rate over the years and this is not only because of the highly skilled and attentive training they receive, but also because they feel ‘they belong’. One of their long time members, Dr. Joe Oliver, testifies, “You feel like you are part of a family.”
Intimate Personal Training Studio: Maximise your performance, maximise your wellness:
Each Drakes Gym team member is keenly aware that fitness looks different as it pertains to each individual. Before you begin your workout session, you will discuss what your fitness goals are, learn about your body composition, and agree on an expert plan to tackle your goals in a time that suits your lifestyle. Your fitness approach can be as targeted as you need it to be from improving muscle tone, aches n’ pains, posture correction, feeling of wellbeing, losing weight, pilates, balance, weight-bearing, and more.
Next time you go to the gym, take notice of the environment you work out in, and your mindset whilst being there, you could be denying your personal wellness the attention it needs. Be more efficient, feel more connected, get fit!