I have always been someone who considers myself less than sporty. It’s pretty ironic, considering I’m now a health and fitness writer. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt out of my comfort zone when faced with any kind of unfamiliar physical activity.

Unsurprisingly, I’m not the only woman who feels this way. Trying anything new or unfamiliar can be intimidating, but the added pressure many of us feel to look or behave a certain way while working out can make that discomfort even worse. 

Add to that the fact that many young girls lose interest in sport as they become teenagers – a study carried out by Women In Sport last year found that 43% of teenage girls who saw themselves as sporty at primary age no longer see themselves that way, and 2.4 million fewer women than men enjoy doing sports and fitness – and it’s clear that the problem is widespread. 

Of course, there are many more factors at play here – namely, the way school teaches us to see movement in terms of sports and skills rather than fitness and wellbeing. There’s a difference between being able to hit a ball and going for a jog around the block, but those of us who don’t take to the sports we’re introduced to at school are often made to feel like exercise just isn’t something we’re good at.

The idea that some people are ‘sporty’ while others are ‘unsporty’ is kind of irrelevant, too. It may be true that some people have a genetic disposition that allows them to perform well at certain sports, but that doesn’t mean those of us who lack a specific athletic talent – or feel like we do – aren’t able to participate in and enjoy exercise. They’re two very different things.

However, that’s not to say that feeling less than confident in your physical abilities is easy to overcome. As with all things though, the key is just getting started. So, what’s the secret to feeling more confident in your physical abilities and learning to enjoy exercise? We put the dilemma to a range of body confidence and fitness experts.  

A simple way to build your confidence when you’re at the start of your fitness journey is to track your progress – whether that’s in terms of distance, speed or weight.

“Starting on a journey to improve your physical wellbeing can feel like a daunting task, but the good news is that progress can come quickly,” says body confidence coach Annabella Zeiddar. “As such, it’s important to track your progress.”

You can track your progress using an app like Strava (and while you’re there, join the Strong Women Run Club), or even by jotting down notes in a fitness journal.

“Watching your progress can be incredibly motivating, and seeing how far you’ve come can give you the confidence to reach for even greater goals,” says Zeiddar.

Improving your fitness is a great goal, but it’s easy to get caught up in the aesthetics of getting fit as opposed to enjoying the exercise and how it feels in your body. Instead, try to aim for something specific and skills-based, like dancing or deadlifting.

Nicola Wai-Shee Chan, a body confidence coach from Liverpool, explains: “One of the things that helped me feel more confident was to start doing skills-based activities like Olympic weightlifting. I also started circus skills, slacklining, juggling and fire performing.

“There are so many different activities to do once you start looking, and learning something new will help you to stay motivated.” 

Not only can yoga offer a long list of physical and mental health benefits, but it’s also a great way to get to know your body and where your specific strengths and weaknesses are.

“Yoga allows women to realise that they can do and achieve so much more than they thought both mentally and physically,” explains Donna Noble, a yoga teacher and wellbeing coach.

“Your body will tell you the areas that you need to work on, and you will see which muscles are weak and which are strong. You will also be able to strengthen and condition your entire body in the process and do things you didn’t even know were possible.” 

Images: Getty