Tactics to Conquer Gym Anxiety
For many fitness beginners, the hesitation to dive in and get started doesn’t come from the workouts themselves. They don’t lack motivation, and have clearly defined goals that they know are attainable with time. However, there’s one major thing standing squarely in their way: Gym Anxiety
Gym anxiety is defined by Medical News Today as “the anxiety a person feels while exercising in a public gym or even at the thought of using one.”
It’s perfectly natural to experience some nerves when just starting out, but when our anxiety starts to get in the way of our progress, we know that taking some preventative action is necessary. Luckily, there are a few tried and true ways to conquer gym anxiety and begin moving forward with our fitness.
Pick Your Time Wisely
If the people at the gym are making you nervous enough to affect the quality of your workouts, then a great place to start is by getting your training in at a time when you know there won’t be a lot of foot traffic. Gyms have differing hours, but it’s pretty universal that between about 2-6 pm it’s gonna be PACKED. Early morning and late night hours provide you the option of avoiding that, provided that your schedule allows for it. If you belong to a gym that’s open 24 hours, then you can even try going in the middle of the night. I used to be a member at Anytime Fitness, and I would periodically show up around 3 am if I was having enough trouble sleeping. Those were some of the best workouts I’ve ever had, because they gave me free-range of the gym with zero inhibition whatsoever. That’s not in the cards for most people (me included nowadays), so our main focus when going to the gym at non-peak hours should be to acclimate ourselves to the environment and equipment. Don’t be afraid to walk around aimlessly, investigate equipment you’ve never seen before, and mentally map out ways in which you could utilize different parts of the gym. As your confidence builds, you can start wading into the waters of training when you know it’ll be a little bit busier. After a while, you’ll be able to workout 100% on your terms, regardless of however many people you think might be there.
2. Vehicle Preparation
This is something that a lot of us do already, just usually not with a whole lot of intention. Upon parking at a destination, it is very common for people to take a minute or two to gather their thoughts before officially beginning the task they drove there to do. To combat gym anxiety, we can extend this little moment of preparation, and give some structure that will directly translate to more confidence in our workouts. Here’s a quick checklist you can run through using your notes app;
List all exercises for today’s workout
Plan the order in which you will do them (list a few alternatives if you’re worried that specific equipment will be too crowded and not worth the wait)
For any unfamiliar exercises or ones you haven’t done in a while, do a quick YouTube search for demonstration videos
Taking the time to address those three things will take almost all of the “what-ifs” out of your workout, and will also help you to refocus your attention on the training instead of the strangers who just happen to be there at the same time as you.
3. The Realization that Everyone is Focused on Themselves
We’re all inherently self-centered creatures, and there are few places where that’s more relevant than the gym. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s actively judging those around them, because they aren’t even paying attention in the first place. Pretty much everyone is thinking about their workout, how they look in the big mirror, or maybe what they’re going to eat after they leave. This might seem like a reductionist perspective, but there’s a lot of power in it. If you can feel anxiety lurking during your workout, bringing yourself back to that reality can help ground you in the present moment and shift your focus back to yourself.
Gym anxiety can be extremely frustrating, but with these three tactics and touch of bravery, you’ll forget you even felt it in the first place. Gaining confidence in the gym is a virtuous cycle, and will give you the extra bit of poise you’ve been looking for to start achieving your goals.
Nate Caudle (CPT)
Red Cat Fitness
redcatfitness@gmail.com
