Fear of Going to the Gym
Easy Ways to Overcome Gym Anxiety and Make Working Out Fun!
Fear of heading to the gym stops millions of us from enjoying a fitter, healthier life. It is not always easy to take that first step – or even to continue after experiencing the gym for the first time.
Anxiety and fear of the unknown are key reasons why heading to the gym can feel more stressful than beneficial. On this page, I examine the common worries about going to the gym one by one. These are followed by a series of tactics one can use to combat this anxiety.
Once you understand where those worries come from, you will have taken a giant first step into feeling confident and empowered while getting fit.
Fear of the Gym: Reasons the Gym can be a Dauting Place
#1 Fear of not Knowing what you are Doing:
Apprehension about going for the first time is super-common. Feeling like you won’t know what to do and how to behave once inside is a real worry.
This is a natural emotion, when broken down, is simply a worry that you will look silly in front of other people. Everyone starts somewhere, and the ‘worst’ anyone will think is that ‘oh, here is someone new,’ – before getting back to their own routine. If, that is, anyone notices you at all.
My advice here is to head for a machine you are familiar with. For example, a treadmill or an exercise bike. You can use those first 15 minutes to warm up – and (importantly) to settle in. It quickly becomes obvious just how little anyone cares about what anyone else is doing.
#2 Worried about Asking for Advice:
Everyone likes to feel confident when walking into a gym and it’s a wonderful place to be when you know how the equipment works. However, this won’t be the case when you go to the gym for the first time.
Worries concerning asking advice from both other members of the gym, or staff that work there are common.
Again, fears here are misplaced. Staff are happy to help everywhere you go, and you will be pleasantly surprised how many fellow gym users are happy to assist. You can see those that are too focused (or too cool!) to bother. After a few visits, you’ll know the machines. If you know that you would then be happy to show someone how they work, you will understand why asking others should not be a worry.
#3 Feeling Self-Conscious about your Fitness Levels:
It is perfectly natural to worry that your fitness levels might not be up to the level of others of the gym. You would not be worried about going for the first time if you were already fit and experienced.
This is fed by advertising. I have yet to see a gym ad where the individual wasn’t as peak fitness and didn’t lead the perfect life? This is just the advertisers selling you the dream. In real life, the gym is filled with people at a wide variety of fitness levels. And that person you see in the ads? They probably don’t exist.
#4 Worried About a Specific Section of the Gym:
Sometimes, people are familiar with cardio machines, strength training or group classes – though are concerned about switching things up. This type of fear is different from the generalised one. Here you might see yourself as competent or experienced – and don’t want to be ‘exposed’ by looking silly in a new area.
Again, the chances of anyone a) noticing at all, and b) caring even if they do notice, is tiny. Own it instead. How about ‘hey, I love the classes but never used that NordicTrack treadmill, I’m worried about doing it wrong, can you show me how it works?’
#5 Shower and Changing Room Etiquette:
If you are out of shape, or naturally shy, then the changing rooms can feel daunting. Showers are private these days, though you still need to get in and out of your fitness clothing.
I advise setting this worry aside until you have worked out a couple of times. Simply turn up with your gym gear under your coat, use a locker and get going. You can always drive home and shower there. In fact, many people choose to do just that every time.
Fear of Going to the Gym: Steps to Overcoming Gym Anxiety
There are several strategies you can use to overcome the fears listed above. What underlies them all is an acknowledgement of how quickly they disappear. Three visits in and you’ll be zipping between machines, swapping tips, and starting to make new friends. You’ll quickly wonder where all that worry came from.
Getting (and Feeling) Informed:
To overcome that feeling that you won’t know what you are doing at the gym, aim to arm yourself with as much information as you can. The easiest way to do this is at the gym induction. After signing up at the gym, you will be offered an induction with a trainer.
This is your opportunity to ask as many questions as you can and to try out the equipment. If you still have concerns after your induction, head to YouTube. Here you will find thousands of informative videos about any piece of gym equipment. This will all give you more confidence going forward. Going with a friend to the gym can also be beneficial. Ask around, many commercial gyms have a ‘bring a friend Friday’ or similar deal.
One Step at a Time:
Some people will head to the gym for the first time with an expectation that they will be exercising intensively from day one, to get fit quick.
This is a risky approach. Exercise at levels that are relevant to your own fitness levels and build things up slowly. Overdoing it risks injury, muscle pain or simply putting you off a return visit.
If this means you start out slowly on the treadmill (for example) at the lowest levels, that’s fine. In fact, this is the quickest way to get fit. You will feel comfortable and able to complete any fitness aim you to strive for and then slowly increase the intensity.
Overcoming Fear of the Gym – Your Mindset:
One of the best ways to combat any gym anxiety is to create that positive mindset feeling before you go. Some find ‘mantras’ are the best way to go. Mantras such as ‘Yes you can’ or ‘I am athletic’ can put you in a great place mentally as you walk into the gym.
Realising that fear and excitement are similar emotions is useful. And when you overcome that fear, there is no better feeling. Simply by ‘doing it’ at the gym, your whole mindset will change.
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