ACCORDING to a recent survey carried out by Nuffield Health of 2,000 participants aged between 18-35 years old, a third of them answered they felt too self-conscious to join a gym.

This is a topic I feel very passionately about as I have heard it from so many women, and men over the years.

And I believe the problem has increased in its severity in the past couple of years due to the rise of social media.

Indeed, 22 per cent of participants surveyed said that seeing other people’s gym photos on social media made them feel under pressure to look a certain way.

Workout videos and gym pictures definitely have their place in motivating people if done in the right way.

You only have to look at my own social media to see I use them as a tool with the intention to inspire and encourage people.

Unfortunately, there is a large trend to show unrealistic and carefully selected images that portray the body beautiful, the perfect female and male form, which in the real world are only attainable for a small minority and very hard to maintain all year round.

Aside from feeling intimidated, 23 per cent admitted to being “worried I’m not fit enough” or “worried everyone will look at me”.

Again this is something I have heard many times from clients and gym members.

My best advice would be to have regular check-ins with a personal trainer who will ensure you’re doing the best for you and your body, no matter what your level of fitness is.

This will help deliver better results than looking to other people or social channels for inspiration.