Tips To Stop Gym Anxiety

As a health professional there are quite a few commonly expressed concerns I hear, by far the most common is a feeling of anxiety when people go to the gym. It's common for beginner and experienced gym goers. Luckily there are ways to help reduce this anxiety. Read on below for some of my helpful tips. 

Find Your Perfect Gym

This is honestly my most important tip. It’s crucial to find a gym that you feel comfortable with, a gym that has the right environment for you and makes you feel at home. Having the top of the line equipment, excellent amenities or an absolutely amazing rate sure helps, but if you don’t feel comfortable there, you’ll always have a sense of anxiety.

Start with a search of gyms in your local area, then look through their website and ensure that the language the use speaks to you and puts you at ease. Once you’ve narrowed down a few, call or go in person and see if they have a trial that you can do to ensure they are the correct gym for you.

Find A Personal Trainer

Most people feel that they need to have a base line knowledge of fitness before they can reach out to a personal trainer. Because of this most people try to go to the gym on their own and learn the basics without any guidance. This is why most people have anxiety when in the gym, by not knowing what you’re doing or the correct way to do the exercises you constantly feel judged and think people are looking at you. In reality, many of the people in the gym haven’t paid any attention to you and the “eyes watching you” that you feel is just your mind playing tricks on you because you’re judging you.

Hiring a personal trainer will help you build the base of knowledge that you’re looking for, while doing it more quickly and effectively. You’ll also feel significantly more confident in the gym because you’ll know how to use the machines, perform the exercises and also why you’re doing them.

Wear Comfortable Clothes

I’ve mentioned this to a few past clients and they’ve looked at me like I was crazy. It may seem silly, but the clothes you wear to the gym may actually play a significant role in your experience at the gym. Think back to a time where you’ve worn a shirt that fit a bit too tight, or was too short. It probably made you feel uncomfortable right? If you don’t feel comfortable in what you’re wearing while at the gym, how do you think that translates in to your overall gym experience? 

Use Mirrors Strategically

Many people struggle while at the gym because most gyms have mirrors all over the place. This typically makes us feel uncomfortable especially if we don’t feel confident in our appearance or performance at the gym.

My biggest tip for overcoming this situation is to simply wait until later in your workout to work out in front of the mirrors. Waiting until later in your workout could help you build the confidence you need to face yourself in the mirror. If you have exercises that place you in front of the mirrors at the start of your workout, try turning away from them. This is a strategy I try not to support because it can reinforce the action of not wanting to look at ourselves or viewing ourselves in a negative light. So, use this one sparingly.