Fitness coach reveals 4 easy ways to overcome gym anxiety

Everything will 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 have to go to the gym because that body isn’t going to build itself,” Rizzo told her 82,500 followers on TikTok 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 would literally paralyze me with so much fear that I would just do the routine and then run home.”

Nearly 90% of Americans are concerned about how others perceive them at the gym, with 27% experiencing “extreme” concern, according to a 2022 survey. “Gymtimidation” appears to be more prevalent in Oregon, Kansas and Massachusetts, the survey found.

To quell the fear, Rizzo recommends going to the gym when there are few people around, finding a friend to accompany you, having a plan and not worrying about others.

Choose the right day and time

Recent research found that Tuesday at 5pm is the peak time for gym attendance, followed by Monday at 5pm and Tuesday at 6pm.

Meanwhile, Sunday from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. has been identified as a quiet block.

“Going long [less busy] Times will help you fit more into the gym,” Rizzo said. “You’ll feel a little more comfortable, and before you know it, you’ll start feeling more confident going into those busier times.”

Bring a friend

“This has always been the case [an] old reliable,” Rizzo shared. “Find someone, even if they don’t really know the gym, just let them go with you and it can really get you going.”

Have a plan

“Wandering around aimlessly, just trying to think of something to do, is so anxiety. Don’t beat yourself up,” Rizzo advised. “Having a set plan will help you move confidently throughout the gym from workout to workout. [another]and you will see much better results that way.”

Don’t worry about others

“Remember, we are self-absorbed creatures. “Now, when you go to practice, 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 outside are too wrapped up in themselves and look at their reflection in the mirror.”

Dr. Daniel Amen, a board-certified psychiatrist and brain imaging researcher in California, has an 18-40-60 rule for anxiety that can be applied to the gym.

“When you’re 18, you worry about what everyone thinks of you,” Amen explained. “When you’re 40, you don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of you. And when you are 60 years old, you realize that no one has thought about you at all.”