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How to get over ‘gymtimidation’ and achieve your fitness resolutions

It’s a new year, a time many start to get their fitness goals back on track, and a Maryland gym owner has some tips to help.

But following through on New Year’s resolutions is often easier said than done, and going to a new gym can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially when it comes to using free weights, such as dumbbells and barbells, or choosing an available machine.



“Gymtimidation” is a term that describes the intimidation one might feel upon entering a “typical” gym setting, Salon reported.

Peri Evanoff, personal trainer and owner of Legendary Fitness in Kensington, Maryland, said it’s important to choose a welcoming, clean studio that offers a free training session, so you can learn how to properly use the equipment.

Once you pick a gym, Evanoff said to make sure you do workouts that you actually enjoy.

“Find a way you love to move. Finding a way that you love to move will encourage you to move more, and then you’ll find other ways that you want to move,” Evanoff said.

She said it doesn’t matter if it’s walking, lifting weights or yoga, find something that makes you feel energized and keeps you coming back for more.

Evanoff adds that fitness is much more than consistently exercising.

“Find the foods that nourish your body, that make you feel energized and don’t make you sleepy. Make sure you stay hydrated. And get quality sleep,” Evanoff said.

And for runners and walkers looking for winter routines, Evanoff said the cold weather could be a good opportunity to discover an indoor workout that appeals to you, such as swimming or lifting weights.

Fauci repeatedly invokes the Fifth Amendment in a contentious Senate committee hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer dozens of questions from senators in a Republican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision, at least for now, shielded Fauci from answering questions that could expose him to accusations of lying under oath. Though he received a pardon in early 2025 from Democratic President Joe Biden, some Republicans pursuing a yearslong campaign for his arrest had suggested he could still face charges for any perjury committed during Wednesday’s hearing. The scientist, who helped lead the nation’s COVID-19 response, was subpoenaed to testify under oath by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has long had an antagonistic relationship with Fauci. In response to angry, sometimes mocking questions from Republican senators, Fauci declined to answer more than 100 times, injecting new drama into partisan divides that have festered for years about the origins and handling of the pandemic. Fauci himself has become a polarizing figure, even receiving death threats that prompted him to seek security.
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