Everything will be fine.
Jenna Rizzo, a weight loss coach for women in Georgia, shares four easy ways to overcome the fear of going to the gym.
“I know you know you have to go to the gym because this body doesn’t build itself,” Rizzo told her 82,500 TikTok followers last week.
“I know how overwhelming it can be to walk into a gym and immediately feel like all eyes are on you,” Rizzo confessed in her 82-second clip. “I used to be literally paralyzed with fear, so I would just get on the treadmill and then run home.”
Nearly 90% of Americans are concerned about how others perceive them at the gym, with 27% feeling “extreme” concern, according to a 2022 survey. “Gymtimidation” appears to be most common in Oregon, Kansas and Massachusetts, the survey found.
To reduce anxiety, Rizzo recommends going to the gym when there are few people there, finding a friend to accompany you, having a plan and not worrying about others.
Choose the right day and time
Recent studies have shown that Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the peak time for gym visits, followed by Monday at 5 p.m. and Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Sunday between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. has now been designated as a quiet period.
“If you go during (less busy) times, you’ll get more used to the gym,” Rizzo said. “You’ll feel a little more comfortable and before you know it, you’ll feel more confident going during those busier times.”
Bring a buddy
“That’s always been an old rule,” Rizzo said. “Find someone, even if they don’t know the gym very well. Just have them come along, it can really take the tension out.”
Do you have a plan
“Wandering around aimlessly and just trying to think of something to do is so anxiety-inducing. Don’t do that to yourself,” Rizzo advised. “Having a solid plan will help you move confidently from one exercise to the next in the gym, and you’ll get much better results that way.”
Don’t worry about others
“Remember, we are self-centered creatures. When you work out, you think all eyes are on you, but nine times out of 10, that’s just not the case,” Rizzo said. “Most people who work out are too self-absorbed, staring at their own reflection.”
Dr. Daniel Amen, a double-certified psychiatrist and brain imaging researcher from California, has developed an 18-40-60 rule for anxiety that can also be applied in the gym.
“When you’re 18, you worry about what everyone thinks of you,” Amen explained. “When you’re 40, you don’t care what anyone thinks of you. And when you’re 60, you realize that nobody thinks of you at all.”
