5 Tips To Break Up With Gym Anxiety

Have you experienced gym anxiety?

gym anxiety

We have all felt the fear or intimidation associated with a new gym. The fear of judgment or even the uncertainty of performing an exercise correctly, and the fear of injury. All of these fears are valid and you are not alone. You don’t have to be a beginner to experience gym anxiety. In fact many intermediate and advanced athletes struggle with this also. It’s much more common than you would think. If you are wanting to get into or back into a gym routine we have some easy tips to help you overcome the anxiety that may be holding you back from an environment you could potentially really enjoy.

We have struggled ourselves and we know how challenging it can feel. These are some tools that have helped us and our clients overcome their gym anxiety and take back their confidence inside the gym.

1. Put on a podcast instead of your typical music playlist.

This one may sound a little out there but hear us out. Find a podcast you really enjoy and begin listening to an episode before you head into a gym. You may find yourself with less distractions around you so you can really focus on your workout. Immerse yourself in a message or mental expansion rather than a song and get into your work out!

2. Get familiar with your space.

Being comfortable in our environment can be beneficial in providing more ease and confidence navigating your way around a gym. When you join a new gym or are starting a new training program take an hour or 30 minutes in replacement of a workout to simply walk around the gym and become familiar with the layout and where gym equipment you may use is located. If it makes you feel more comfortable add in some cardio to get some gentle movement in and become even more aware of your surroundings.

3. Injury prevention

Injury prevention should always be at the top of our priority list whenever we are performing physical activity. Especially in a gym setting. Proper form is important. If you are new to working out it is always beneficial to take advantage of the free personal training assessments at your gym for form corrections and becoming familiar with machines. Which can help you with injury prevention. This is included in most gym memberships! This can help you feel more confident in your lifts and decrease your fears around injury, boosting your confidence!

4. Everyone starts somewhere!

Everyone is a beginner at one point or another in their health and fitness journeys. It’s easy to take our insecurities and project them onto others around us. “Are they staring at me?” or “am I doing this wrong?” and even “They’re talking about me.” We have all been there. But the truth is, everyone is there to focus on themselves and their workouts. I can guarantee all eyes are not on you! Your goals are important too and you have just as much of a right to be there as anyone else! Keep showing up!

5. Don’t treat it as a chore!

gym anxiety tips

Mindset is key here. Change the perspective of how you view your workouts from “I have to” to “I get to” workout. It may sound cheesy and maybe it is, but the way we speak or think about workouts a lot of the time dictates the way we show up in our workouts! So hype yourself and find the joy in having a body that allows you to move freely. Even if you aren’t where you want to be yet this is your stepping stone to that more confident you! It begins in the way we speak and think towards the actions we put into our health journeys! So kick back and enjoy the process at every stage.

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Sam Wallace

I am a fitness professional Located in Los Angeles, California. Fitness for me is not only a hobby, it changed my life.