When you start working out in a new environment, you may experience gym anxiety. As a child or teen, gym anxiety may manifest as being afraid of going to physical education class. As an adult, you may be afraid to try out a new workout or even go to a group workout class with other people.
If you suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder, simply referred to as SAD, your fear of going to the gym or going to physical education class may be so serious that you are constantly thinking about it throughout the day. You may have knots in your stomach about the mere thought of going to the gym after work, triggering your SAD symptoms. For more information read “6 Helpful Tips for Living with Social Anxiety.” It could even lead to a panic attack. For support, check out our blog “How to Manage A Panic Attack.”
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
What is gym anxiety?
Gym anxiety can explain the anxiety that you experience when you go to the gym or even just think about going to the gym. When you go to the gym, especially if you have never been to the given facility before, it is normal to feel anxious because you do not know what to expect. However, if you are already experiencing social anxiety, you may be at a higher risk for experiencing gym anxiety.
Gym anxiety is often referred to as gymtimidation.
Gymtimidation is typically rooted in:
The fear of the unknown
The fear of being observed
Feeling unsure about what to do in the gym
As you go to the gym or think about going to the gym, certain questions may flood your mind:
What if the facility is packed?
Will people be nice to me there?
Will everyone there be more in shape than I am?
Will I be able to find parking easily?
What if I do not know how to use the machines?
What if I cannot find someone to help me use the machines?
Your thoughts may begin to spiral leaving you feeling emotionally, mentally, and even physically depleted, making you not want to go to the gym even more. It can morph into a toxic cycle.
The signs and symptoms of gym anxiety can vary from person-to-person, but here are some common symptoms of gym anxiety:
Feelings of fear
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Muscle tension
Rapid heart rate
Excessive worry
For more information, check out our blog “3 Ways to Manage Your Physical Anxiety Symptoms.”
It is also possible that you adopt avoidant behavior towards the gym. That is to say, you simply avoid the gym altogether to get rid of your feelings of gym anxiety. Take our Anxiety Quiz to see if you struggle with gym anxiety.
If the idea of getting in a gym session stresses you out, there are coping mechanisms you can employ to reduce your anxiety.
What triggers my gym anxiety?
For the average person, there are many individualistic factors that affect the presence and severity of your gym anxiety.
Here are some triggers of gym anxiety:
Having poor body image (Check out our blog “How To Overcome Body Image Issues”)
Feeling intimidated by people who you think are in better physical shape than you
Feeling uncomfortable around large groups of people
Changing in front of people
Having difficulty using gym equipment
Feeling like people are always staring at you
Having anxiety about sweating
Stressing out about making small talk
Having anxiety about using a public restroom
Having anxiety about attending group classes
While both men and women can suffer from gym anxiety, research has found that, although women know about the benefits of resistance training, many women avoid it due to not wanting to be perceived by other people.
In the study, women reported the following reasons for avoiding resistance training:
Feeling intimidated
Feeling uncomfortable
Feeling uncoordinated while performing exercise movements
Not knowing how to use gym equipment
Not knowing what to do in the gym
Worrying about body image
Fear of looking non-athletic
Worrying about sweating in front of other groups of people
You may even avoid specific areas of the gym if that causes a particular trigger. For example, you may avoid going to the weight room if you think that people who are more physically fit than you are in there.
How can I overcome my gym anxiety?
If you want to manage your gym anxiety, you can use a handful of strategies. From managing your negative thoughts to building self-confidence, you do not have to feel inferior in the gym. To build up your self-confidence, look into our blog “The Ultimate Guide to Building Self-Confidence.”
Manage Your Negative Thoughts
In order to stop your gym anxiety, you must get a hold of the negative thought processes that are fueling your anxiety. When examining the thought you are experiencing, think about whether or not the thought is true or false. Is it really rooted in reality? If not, you can learn to replace it with a more realistic, helpful thought.
For example, instead of thinking “I’m so out of shape that everyone in the gym is going to be staring at me”, you can learn to think “Everyone is minding their business and is focused on their own workout.”
2. Work with a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Therapist
If you find that your social anxiety is so severe that it is interfering with your daily life and causing significant distress, working with a CBT counselor may help. CBT therapy for social anxiety works along the lines of my first tip, managing your negative thoughts by changing them to a more positive thought that is rooted in reality.
At Anchor Therapy, we have CBT therapists who can help you overcome your gym anxiety. We offer in-person sessions in our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. We also virtual CBT sessions to residents of Bergen County, New Jersey; Jersey City, New Jersey; and Montclair, New Jersey. We also offer online therapy to all residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
CBT therapy for gym anxiety can teach you to rethink the negative thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors linked to anxiety.
A CBT counselor at Anchor Therapy can assist you with your gym anxiety by:
Pinpointing negative thoughts
Challenging and reconstructing your thoughts
Setting realistic goals
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Coping strategies
Building self-efficacy
3. Build Confidence
Confidence is built by setting goals and achieving them. When you first start going to the gym, you do not have to set big goals, such as losing 10 pounds in your first month of working out. Instead, your goal could be going to the gym three times a week. This is a more manageable and sustainable goal.
You can build your gym confidence by continuing to go to the gym. The more you go to the gym, the easier it will get. The more you avoid a situation, the more anxiety-inducing it can become.
If you are nervous about using the equipment at the gym, you can take time to look into workouts or research gym equipment ahead of time so you do not feel lost. You could even go to the gym with a friend who knows how to use the equipment and does not mind showing you how to use it too. Anxiety can be caused by fear of the unknown. If you know that this is the cause of your anxiety, doing research beforehand can help.
Overall, the more you exercise, the more confident you will become. Another important physical component of going to the gym is wearing clothes that make you feel good and comfortable while working out.
If you find that going to the gym is way too overwhelming for you, you can start by gradually exposing yourself to the situation. With the help of an exposure therapist, you can ease your anxiety and build your confidence in the gym. Your first step, for example, may be researching gyms in your area. Then, you may walk or drive past a gym. Next, you may ask a gym employee to give you a tour of the facilities, and so on. You will slowly progress at a speed in which you feel comfortable with.
The ultimate goal is for you to feel comfortable in the gym, exercising with the equipment, and actually working out in the communal gym setting. Once you become comfortable, you can begin using the equipment or taking classes.
Read our blog “5 Ways to Build Self-Confidence” for tips.
4. Plan Your Workouts
When you have a plan in place, you are eliminating fear of the unknown. It also creates a structured routine and schedule into your life
If you know exactly what days and time you are going in addition to the workouts you will be completing, you will be able to focus solely on your workout and truly give it your all with no distractions.
5. Work with an Exposure Therapist
While it may be hard to get to the gym, there are many mental health benefits of working out.
Here are some common ways in which exercise can enhance your emotional well-being:
Reduced stress
Enhanced mood
Better quality sleep (If you struggle with sleep issues, check out our blog “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”)
Increased energy levels
Better cognitive functioning
Enhanced self-esteem and confidence (For more information, read our blog “Do You Understand Your Self-Esteem?”)
Mind-body connection
Check out our past blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health.”
When you are first going to the gym, be kind to yourself. It is a new experience and it is normal to feel anxious. Gradually exposing yourself to the gym is a great idea, especially if you struggle with social anxiety. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy can help.
An exposure therapist at Anchor Therapy can assist you with gymtimidation by:
Gradual exposure
Visualization
Education
Cognitive restructuring
Behavioral reinforcement
Goal setting
By gradually exposing yourself to new situations in the gym, you will feel powerful and gain confidence.
You can start to grow your confidence by:
Going to the gym when it is not packed to avoid crowds
Wearing headphones to listen to music, audiobook, or podcast to ease anxiety
Make a hierarchy list of things to accomplish at the gym from least important to most important (e.g., go to the gym, go to the locker room to change, buy a water bottle, warm-up, workout, etc.)
Gym intimidation is more common than you may think. In fact, it is so common that many gyms use it as a part of their marketing strategies to showcase that their space is a safe space for people of all gym levels. You do not have to be a bodybuilder to start going to the gym and training weights.
Generally speaking, people in the gym are more focused on themselves than you. People in the gym are likely focusing on their goals, trying to crush their workout or even just make themselves feel a little bit better after a hard day. Some gym goers may even be wondering if you are judging them!
Smiling at a fellow gym goer or saying “hi” to the receptionist at the front desk can go a long way in overcoming your gym anxiety and social anxiety. When you get that smile or “hi” back, you will not feel as intimidated. And, even if you do not receive a response, that person may just be in the middle of a difficult movement or important task.
Sometimes, your gym anxiety can be fixed by implementing small lifestyle changes. For example, if you feel anxious before going to the gym, you may meditate to regain yourself. After meditating, you feel perfectly fine to kill it at the gym. For more information, check out our blog “How Meditation Can Lead to Stress Reduction.”
If you find that you are constantly being negatively affected by your gym anxiety and social anxiety, reaching out for help from a CBT therapist or ERP therapist is a great idea. It can lessen the severity of your symptoms and give you the power to feel like yourself again. At Anchor Therapy, our anxiety therapists work to make you feel like the best version of yourself- it is possible!
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
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