Gym anxiety is a powerful force.
It can stop even the most motivated of people dead in their tracks, unable to take those last few steps through the doors of their local gym. Heck, that’s even if you can work up the courage to get out of your car while you sit in the parking lot.
Or worse, it can paralyze you in the confines of your own home.
“For many, Gym anxiety has become the single most decisive factor in their fitness future. The stress and worry of walking into a local workout facility is simply an unbearable thought, even for the highly motivated.
And what’s worse, gym anxiety will take that motivation you have to change and reverse it. Nothing causes the feeling of helplessness more than having a high desire for change being overshadowed by anxiety.
Gym anxiety will leave you wishing for change but not working for change.
There is an actual term for those who experience these feelings of gym anxiety. It is called “gymtimidation”.
Do I Have Gymtimidation?
Here are some things you might think to yourself when you consider going to the gym, which will help explain the symptoms of gym anxiety or gymtimidation.
- I’ll look stupid.
- Everyone will stare at me.
- I am not fit enough to go to the gym, and everyone will know it.
- I don’t know how to use the machines, and it’ll be evident.
- The gym is full of hot people, and I won’t fit in.
- Everyone will judge me and my every move.
- The other people are better than me. I don’t belong there.
- Everyone will be laughing at me or behind my back.
Does any of these sound familiar? If so, then make no doubt about it. You have gym anxiety, and it keeps you from living the fit and healthy life you want.
But, if you are truly motivated, you CAN overcome gym anxiety. In this article, I will share 5 things you need in your arsenal to overcome gym anxiety and get you on the path to living the healthy life you want!
5 Must Haves to Overcome Gym Anxiety
1. A Simple Plan To Get You Started
If you have never been to a gym before, or perhaps you are walking into a gym for the first time in a long time, you can get quickly overwhelmed.
Part of the modern-day gym marketing plan is to provide users with a plethora of exercise and workout options. Limited selection is seen as a negative in today’s fitness world. So gyms are packed to the limits with machines, gadgets, and distractions.
That’s great for some, but for the person with gym anxiety, this is a massive mental hurdle that slaps you right in the face as soon as you get through the doors.
So, keep it simple. Know what you will do BEFORE you walk through the door and for how long. I recommend making a plan to find a treadmill and just walk on it for 20-30 minutes. Grab the first one you can see, and jump on. This will solve the problem of not knowing what to do when you get there, and it also gives you time to check out the rest of the gym, get a layout of where different machines are, and just get comfortable being in the space. This will help make your next trip a little less worrisome.
2. Bring the Right Tools for the Job
Imagine a plumber showing up to a job with his tools. Or a basketball player is shooting hoops…without a ball.
Having the right tools for the job is imperative, and being adequately equipped can help dampen even the strongest cases of gym anxiety.
And you are going to the gym to do some form of work, so you need to identify which tools you will need and take them with you.
For example, I know that if I do not bring my own headphones to listen to music, I will be forced to listen to whatever music the gym is playing (or hear other people grunting and making weird noises). I’ll be honest, I went to the gym and left before walking in when I realized I had forgotten my headphones. This is a must-have tool for many.
Think about what you might need for the job at hand. You’re likely to get thirsty, so perhaps take a shaker bottle to the gym. If you are going to be walking or running, maybe a good pair of running shoes should be packed. If you want to track your workouts and/or calories, perhaps a fitness tracker or tracking app is required to get the job done.
Don’t go overboard. Remember, when it comes down to it, all you need is YOU…but a few tools to help you get the job done are always a good idea.
3. Walk In With Your Big WHY
An old scripture says, “Those without a vision will perish.”
This is hugely relevant when it comes to improving your level of health and fitness and working to overcome gym anxiety.
Walking into a crowded gym for the first time can cause gym anxiety and uncertainty, but if you walk in there uncertain of why you are even there, you have a recipe for a fitness disaster.
What is your big why? Why are you willing to put yourself through this?
Your why must be honest and accurate. Level with yourself about what you want from the process.
If your big why is accurate, and you own it, then it can be the motivation you need to carry you through the initial hurdles of gym anxiety.
4. You Need to Keep an Open Mind
I can speak from experience that when I feel anxious, nervous, or any sense of embarrassment, my initial reaction is to want to shut down and run for the hills.
Running at the gym is good. Running away…not so much.
Having an open mind at the gym and learning how to stay calm and handle your feelings and emotions, especially when first starting out, can help level out those nerves and keep them from getting the best of you.
Do you look like you don’t know what you are doing? Maybe, and that’s ok. Own the moment, and move on. Do you look like a sweaty alien from another planet? Perhaps, but you just killed a workout to earn that sweat, and that’s a badge of honor in your eyes (and really, everyone else’s there too).
When negative thoughts creep up on you (and they do, even for the most experienced gym-goer), use an open mind to look beyond the moment and see the bigger picture.
You are there on a journey, working hard on behalf of your big why, and that’s far more important than whatever small bout of gym anxiety can do to you.
5. Accountability is a Requirement, in Some Form or Another
As the old saying goes, “misery loves company.” It’s true; it does. But a lot of other things love company, too.
Have you ever felt like you are going into battle all by yourself? That issue you are facing is yours, and you’re alone to handle it? It’s a quick way to feel alone and overwhelmed with the stresses of sole responsibility.
But on the other hand, have you ever felt like you were going to war…with an army behind you? Some form of “we got your back” that made you feel much more emboldened and powerful as you forge forward into enemy territory to take what’s rightfully yours?
Make no mistake, the gym is a battlefield.
We are physically engaged, mentally taxed, and at the same time using the gym as a way to use the emotional burdens that we carry on our shoulders as fuel for the fire to punish ourselves even more. We are at war with ourselves every time we cross the threshold of the gym door opening.
But then, from a distance, we hear someone yell, “you can do it!”
Someone else says, “you got this.”
You make eye contact with someone in the gym who nods at you while you nod back, both respecting the work being put in and encouraging each other, even if not verbally, to stay the course.
Or maybe, someone is telling you, “You can do better; you deserve more.”
Having someone in your corner can make the difference between failure and success when dealing with gym anxiety. Every boxer has a team in their corner, and for a good reason.
Find ways to be kept accountable. If you don’t have a team yet, do it to yourself. Tell yourself you are proud. Tell yourself you are killing it. Let yourself know if you skip too many days and start backsliding. Remind yourself of your big why.
In the meantime, make random friends on Instagram or Facebook who seem to be on a similar journey (you’d be surprised how well stranges can be in your corner and pump you up when you need it). Soon enough, since you are sticking with this new gym life, you will make friends IRL that you can talk to, encourage, and create a little army of warriors with together.
Final Thoughts on Overcoming Gym Anxiety
This list of things you need to overcome gym anxiety will help you get through those first few gym sessions and get your feet wet. But, they are not a silver bullet.
At the end of the day, YOU are the most essential thing. Showing up and doing what you know needs to be done. Use your gym anxiety as fuel to take you to the next level, even if it’s only your first level.
Soon enough, you will have mastered overcoming gym anxiety and can help others do the same.
