Conquering Gym Anxiety

It’s been said that becoming strong doesn’t start in the gym, it starts in your head. And, I’m inclined to agree.

I began my weight loss journey at 267 lbs.

My weight had been a source of nagging anxiety in social situations for sometime. I worried that my friends thought I was lazy, and that people felt sorry for my husband because he was married to someone as big as me.

Working out was an important part of my journey from day 1, and I tried to keep my anxiety from bleeding over into my gym experience. I reasoned out that I wanted to workout, and the gym was where people went when they worked out. This meant I belonged at the gym.

Still, I found myself intimidated by all the new-to-me equipment and classes. I wanted to look calm and confident, but I didn’t feel that way. As a result, my workouts were isolated to the treadmill in the back of the room for quite sometime.

The upside, from the back of the gym, was that I could observe others. From afar, it actually appeared that regular gym goers weren’t all starring at each other. They were too consumed with their own workouts, listening to their music, wiping the sweat from their foreheads, wrangling their kids who were caught running around, or talking with friends. Basically, like everything else, people in the gym are too concerned with themselves to notice all your foibles.

So, here are a few things I did to talk myself off the treadmill and into fulfilling and exciting workouts in the gym.

1. Reach Out to Someone in the Fitness Community:

   I had friends who were personal trainers, and runners, and weight lifters. I reached out with questions I had regarding workouts, classes I may like, and equipment that may be easier for me to use. Low and behold, not only were they willing to help me, they often expressed how proud they were of me. They even expressed the sentiment that seeing someone attempting to lose weight, gain muscle and become more mobile inspired them to keep going as well. They made me feel like I belonged in the fitness community. I began saying in my head as I walked in the gym, “These are my people.”

2. Call Your Gym and Schedule a Session with an Employee (During Off Hours):

   Often, hesitation to jump in headfirst at the gym comes from not wanting to look like an idiot in front of all the “experienced” people. Luckily, and at no cost, a gym employee is almost always happy to schedule time with you to show you how to use all the equipment correctly. You can schedule this time during off hours if you prefer when the gym is less crowded. Knowing HOW to use some of the more complicated equipment is an important component in feeling comfortable using it.

3. Take it Slow:

   You don’t have to program a workout on the first day using all the equipment the gym offers you. It’s ok to be a beginner. If you’ve been regulated to the treadmill longer than you like however, make a commitment to try ONE NEW machine at the gym each visit or two. Take your time. Read the directions located near the device or google a video of someone demonstrating it. Remember, other people are too focused on themselves to notice you adjusting the weights and checking your form against the posted pictures. Once you are comfortable, you can try another, and then another. Soon, there will be nothing at the gym you haven’t tried.

4. Choose a Workout Class and Position Yourself in the Back Row (If That’s Where You Feel Comfortable):

   Now, I’ll be honest. My strategy was exact opposite. I felt comfortable in the front row, where I could see the teacher, and NOT see everyone else. Wherever you stand, the hardest class is the first one. After you start learning the routines and rhythm of the class, you’ll lose your self consciousness and JUST HAVE FUN! (NOTE: My very first exercise class was water aerobics, and I went faithfully 2-3 days a week for a year. It was great for my joints and the water covered a multitude of mistakes at first! Eventually, I set a goal to try EVERY class at my gym…and I did!).

5. If All Else Fails, Try One of These:

   • Invite a friend to join you.

   • Consider joining a Women’s Only gym (if that applies to you).

   • Exercise at home (it’s no less legit to get in your reps in the privacy of your own space).

   • Exercise outdoors (our first gym was the YMCA with an out door walking track with a BeAuTiFuL view of Pike’s Peak).

By the way, if you’ve yet to be “welcomed” into the fitness and gym membership community, let me be the first to say, “Hello! Welcome. We are soooooo happy to have you here! You belong. We are your people.”