7 Tips to Overcome Gym Anxiety & Hit Your Fitness Goals

Some people look forward to going to the gym. The gym is the one place where they can forget their worries, release stress, and focus solely on improving their fitness level. Then there are the gym goers who feel anxiety before they even walk in the door. If this gym anxiety isn't relieved, it can keep them from developing this healthy habit.

What Is Gym Anxiety: Causes and Symptoms

Research consistently supports exercise as a way to calm anxiety. If someone has an anxiety disorder, such as social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder, increasing physical activity can help reduce their feelings of anxiousness or worry.

Yet, for some, the idea of going to the gym increases anxiety versus decreasing it. They fear that they will be judged for their physical condition. Or they have a feeling of anxiousness because they don't know how to use weight equipment or are unfamiliar with an exercise program.

When this type of fear is present, it can create anxiety symptoms such as a racing heart, increased tension, sweating, and trouble focusing. If severe enough, it can keep the person from following a regular exercise program.

7 Tips for Overcoming Gym Anxiety

Whether you have gym anxiety yourself or you're a trainer who wants to know how to help clients overcome this feeling, here are seven tips to try.

#1: Notify Gym Staff of Your Fitness Fear

Sometimes, just telling someone that going to the gym causes you anxiety is enough to help reduce its hold. It makes you feel less alone. And if the person you tell is a member of the gym's staff, they may have helpful tips for relieving this anxiety.

You're likely not the first person to walk in the doors with gym anxiety. So, they can share what has helped other members with the same type of fear.

#2: Develop a Plan for Dealing with an Anxious Thought

If you fear that you'll have a panic attack during your workout, you're not going to enjoy your fitness journey. Develop a plan to deal with a negative thought or negative self-talk when it arises to help keep anxiety from rising to this level.

Even something as simple as repeating "I can do this" may help. Other options include reminding yourself of other times you were able to successfully work through your fear or finding ways to distract yourself when you're feeling this way, such as by listening to your favorite podcast or watching the TVs above the cardio machines.

#3: Do Your Workout During Less Busy Times

If your gym anxiety is caused by a fear of judgment, exercise during off-peak times. Having fewer people around you will allow you to focus on your workout without wondering what others think.

If you're not sure what these times are, ask gym staff when it is less busy and schedule your workouts then. Knowing that you have the place largely to yourself can help ease this kind of stress.

#4: Talk with the Instructor Before Taking a Group Fitness Class

Joining a gym class is a great way to meet new people and ease your anxiety because you don't feel so on your own. But before signing up for a fitness class, take the time to talk to the instructor.

Class instructors may have recommendations for a class that is particularly welcoming or a smaller class size that might not feel quite so overwhelming. Making the instructor aware of your fear also enables them to proactively work to reduce your anxiety from before the class even starts.

#5: Stay Focused on Your Fitness Goal

Anxiety about going to the gym can keep you from hitting your fitness goals. You talk yourself out of regular aerobic exercise or strength training as a way to protect your mental health.

Here's the thing: You can have both physical and mental health as long as you stay focused on your fitness goals. Continuously remind yourself why it is you want to go to the gym. Use these reasons as a source of motivation whenever you are tempted to not go.

#6: Find a Gym Buddy

If your gym anxiety feels too big to conquer alone, enlist the help of a friend. Ask someone to join you in your fitness journey and schedule times when you can exercise together.

This gives you someone to talk to when you feel your anxiety rising. Plus, improving your fitness is just more fun when you do it with someone else.

Don't have a friend that will work out with you? Ask the gym staff if they know a member who would make a good gym buddy. They can introduce you so you can both help each other as you work on your fitness together.

#7: Meet with a Personal Trainer When Joining a New Gym

A trainer does more than create your workout plan. They can also show you around the weight room or gym floor. This helps you become more familiar with the facility. This familiarity can make the gym environment feel less scary.

A trainer can also teach you how to use the gym equipment. From cardio machines to strength training equipment—such as weight machines and the squat rack—just knowing how to use these things can reduce your gym fear.

Having this knowledge also boosts your gym confidence because you know how to safely and effectively execute your workout routine. Even if you only invest in one personal training session, this can go a long way in helping you start and continue with your fitness journey.

When the Anxiety Won't Go Away

Following these seven tips can help reduce gym anxiety. But what if you try all of them yet still can't seem to quiet this feeling down?

First, recognize that anxiety is incredibly common. In fact, anxiety disorders are "the most common mental illness in the U.S." according to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA). So, you are not alone.

The ADAA further adds that anxiety is highly treatable. So, if you're struggling to overcome your gym anxiety on your own, enlist the help of a professional. Make an appointment with a mental health counselor or therapist to talk about your anxiety. They can help get to the bottom of this feeling and create an effective treatment plan.

It's also possible that you have an anxiety disorder that is leading to your fear of the gym. If you have social anxiety, for instance, your anxiousness may stem more from not wanting to be around a lot of people than a fear of the gym environment itself. Identifying this can help you come up with ways to reduce this feeling and still hit your fitness goals.

There is often a negative stigma attached to counseling or therapy. Yet, these professionals can help you tend to your mental health the same way a medical doctor can help you tend to your physical health. They can teach you the skills and tools you need to learn how to calm your anxiety before it is able to rise to higher levels.

Dealing with Gym Anxiety as a Fitness Professional

If you are a fitness professional, talk to your clients about any anxieties they may have about working out at the gym. Ask if they have a fear of judgment or a fear of not knowing how to use the equipment correctly. Then find ways to deal with each fear so they feel more comfortable when trying to achieve their fitness goals.

ISSA's Health Coach Certification program teaches even more ways to help clients overcome their individual barriers and, as a result, achieve maximum wellness. This program is for fitness professionals who want to offer personalized health solutions both inside and outside the gym.