Simple Cures for Gym Anxiety
As a freshman, I HATED going to the weight room. Not because I hated lifting weights, in fact it was truly the highlight of my day. But because I always got a pit in my stomach when thinking about using equipment. Do I remember how to set up the cable machine? Am I putting the weight on right? Where are the lighter dumbbells? Add this to internal dialogue about being the only girl, lifting lighter weight, and doing exercises wrong, and I was a melting pot of nerves all day leading up to gym training.
After 4 years of lifting weights I discovered that those butterflies floating around are normal. Infact, Fit Rated surveyed 1000 American’s and found that 51.4% avoid the gym due to the fear of being judged. Gym anxiety is a primary culprit of avoiding the gym.
Our past article “Why Weight Room: 4 Reasons Why Female Athletes Should Weight Train”, discusses the lack of female participation in weight training; whether a varsity high school athlete or a womxn striving to achieve a new years fitness goal, the gym (or weight room) can be intimidating. You can even get gym anxiety due to non-gender related fears such as improperly using equipment, improperly completing an exercise, and dreading certain machines. As gyms start to (safely) open up in different areas, we are here with some practical and easy-to-implement ideas to help you overcome that gym anxiety so you can get stronger and healthier!
Come with a pre planned workout
Wandering around the gym, glancing at equipment, and questioning where to begin leads to feeling extremely overwhelmed. This will cause extra anxiety that is completely avoidable through pre planning a workout. If you feel you are more advanced, try designing your own workouts and writing it out on your phone. If you don’t know where to start or how to create your own workout plan, don’t worry there are plenty of resources to help! You can find articles or free workouts online targeting specific areas such as back and biceps or goals such as jump training. Another option is to invest in a paid workout plan such as Cali Fuller’s Gym Program, Alive by Whitney Simmons, or New Human Fitness App.
Have a gym buddy
Finding a friend with similar goals and a compatible schedule to go to the gym with provides so many benefits. First, this will not only hold you accountable to sustaining your gym schedule but also make your time at the gym more fun; this will reduce your anxiety around the gym by making it feel like a hobby and less of a chore. Additionally, lifting weights with someone else allows both of you to watch each other's form, which can be especially helpful if you are working out without a mirror. This can also reduce the fear of completing exercises wrong, others providing unwanted feedback, and utilizing equipment incorrectly.
Invest in cute and stylish gym clothes
A huge confidence booster for any womxn is feeling confident in how they look, no matter the situation. Investing in active wear sets that make you feel beautiful, bold, and strong will allow you to feel confident walking into the gym. Some of our favorite brands are GymShark, Fabletics, LuluLemon, and Set Active!
Make a playlist and grab some headphones!
A deeper root of gym anxiety is the fear of being judged by others, however, recognizing that everyone is way more concerned with themselves then they are with you is the key to overcoming such fears! Grabbing a pair of headphones and consuming whatever media you find motivating (whether this be a podcast or playlist) allows you to zone out the people around you in the gym and focus on yourself, your exercises, and your growth. We recommend making your own playlist with songs that get you individually excited and inspired.
All of these simple tricks will help you slowly get rid of those gym surrounded fears. But I will let you in on a secret - the most effective way to end gym anxiety is by going. What I mean by that is, the more frequently you go to the gym or weight room, the less anxiety you will have. By being at the gym more often all of your fears will eventually evaporate; you will realize that everyone makes mistakes and is more concerned with themself than anyone else. Frequency mixed with the tips mentioned above and going to the gym will no longer be stressful!
Sources:
https://www.self.com/story/how-i-conquered-weight-room-anxiety
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/8-trainer-approved-ways-to-overcome-gym-anxiety/
https://www.fitrated.com/resources/workout-worries/