It will all work out.
Jenna Rizzo, a women’s weight loss coach from Georgia, is sharing four simple ways to overcome anxiety about going to the gym.
“I know you know you need to go to the gym because that body ain’t gonna 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. “It literally used to paralyze me with so much fear I would only do the treadmill and then I’d run home.”
Nearly 90% of Americans are worried about how others perceive them at the gym, with 27% experiencing “extreme” concern, according to a 2022 survey. “Gymtimidation” appears to be most prevalent in Oregon, Kansas and Massachusetts, the poll found.
To quell fears, Rizzo recommends going to the gym when few people are around, finding a friend to accompany you, having a plan and not worrying about others.
Pick the right day and time
Recent research found that Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the peak time for gym attendance, followed by Monday at 5 p.m. and Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Meanwhile, Sunday between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. was identified as a quiet block.
“Going during [less busy] times is going to help you get more acclimated to the gym,” Rizzo said. “You’re going to feel a little bit more comfortable, and before you know it, you’re going to start feeling more confident to go during those more busy times.”
Bring a buddy
“This one’s always been [an] old reliable,” Rizzo shared. “Find somebody, even if they don’t really know the gym that much, just have them go with you, and it can really take the edge off.”
Have a plan
“Wandering around aimlessly, just trying to think of something to do, is so anxiety-inducing. Don’t put yourself through it,” Rizzo advised. “Having a set plan in place will help you confidently move throughout the gym from one exercise to [another], and you’ll see much better results this way.”
Don’t worry about others
“Remember, we are self-absorbed creatures. Now, when you go to work out, you think all eyes are on you, but nine times out of 10, that’s just not the case,” Rizzo said. “Most of the people working out are too wrapped up in themselves and staring at their own reflection in the mirror.”
Dr. Daniel Amen, a double board-certified psychiatrist and brain-imaging researcher in California, has an 18-40-60 rule about anxiety that can apply to the gym.
“When you’re 18, you worry about what everybody’s thinking of you,” Amen explained. “When you’re 40, you don’t give a damn what anybody thinks about you. And when you’re 60, you realize nobody’s been thinking about you at all.”