If you just joined a gym, are getting back into going or have shown up consistently, you may experience some anxiety. Are people going to judge how you look? Are they going to stare at you or make a rude comment? The machine could be louder.
You may not be able to exercise if you have a physical condition. Can your body do the work out?
It is understandable that many of us experience gym anxiety because we live in a culture that places a lot of emphasis on appearance and toughing it out. You may not be able to go even if you want to.
If they aren’t signs of avoidance, “shy girl workouts” are an option you may have seen on TikTok.
TikTok creators created videos showing exercises you can do at the gym if you feel self-conscious. These are quieter movements that you can do in your bedroom.
This video of Besna has weight lifting in the back of the room with no noisy machines. The Fitpie Fitness video shows exercises that you can do without weights or machines. There are more examples at TikTok at #shygirlworkouts.
That is great, but what is the big deal?
Gym anxiety is common even if you do not experience it. The gym is hard to avoid because it has so many weights, fitness classes, and machines that many of us can’t afford, but it is also nerve-wracking because at least half of Americans find working out in front of others nerve-wracking.
Right now, we are at the epicenter of the Pandemic, so you may face more anxiety. We all had a period of weeks, months or even years when we didn’t set foot in a gym full of strangers after the 2020 flu scare, according to a licensed psychologist in Texas. We have to build up our comfort zone again by expanding it, because our comfort zone has shrunk down to our at- home gym or small group. Even if we aren’t avoiding it out of shyness or social worry, we still learn to fear it.
That is not all. Fatphobia and diet culture also play a part. “We live in a culture that places high value on how bodies look, so it isn’t surprising that gym anxiety is prevalent,” said Sydney Tenney, a primary therapist with Lightfully Behavioral Health.
Being aware of those reasons and realizing your anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of is a must for both your mental and physical health. A certified personal trainer and fitness specialist said that having self-insight to identify that you need’shy girl’ moves is very helpful. Consistency is everything when it comes to the benefits of exercise, so any strategy that helps you to be more consistent will allow you to reap more benefits.
If you don’t experience full-blown anxiety in the gym, shy girl workouts can help you.
“Not everyone thinks of them as’shy girl’ workouts, but I frequently make adjustments to my clients’ strength training programs because they feel awkward doing certain moves at the gym.” Is it the common culprits? Hip thrusts, as well as jumping and gym equipment, sometimes.
Are you looking for shy girl workout ideas. This might look like finding a treadmill against the back wall for cardio.
According to Heather Perren, a senior master trainer at Lagree Fitness, the following exercises do not require great balance.
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There are a set of hand weights.
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Stand with the feet hip-distance apart, then sit into a mini squat by sending your tailbone back and bending your knees.
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With your palms up, start with your ribs.
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When you return to the starting position, slowly extend your arms to the soft elbow. The goal is eight to ten seconds in each direction.
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Your shoulders are relaxed and your collarbones are wide.
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You should try to do these extensions for a while.
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Attach a resistance band to the door
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Turn to face the other side of the room and grab the handle with your hands in the center of your chest.
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Keep your torso upright with your shoulders stacked over your hips by bending your knees.
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You don’t have to move your hips if you move away from the door.
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Return your torso to the starting position.
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You should keep your hands away from your chest.
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Keep the tension in your core constant.
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It’s a good idea to perform for a minute on each side.
For your back and your back muscles.
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Attach the door mount to the resistance bands.
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Stand in a split stance while grabbing both handles.
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As you lunge down, both knees will bend into two 90-degree bends, and at the same time, pull the handles in toward you, rowing them at your sides on the way down
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As you rise back up to the top slowly, your arms slowly release out at the same slow pace as your legs
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Don’t take the break at the top if you have locked knees.
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For two minutes, aim for it.
Making changes to keep your anxiety at bay can be a form of avoidance, if you have experienced anxiety in other areas. Staying away from a place, activity, object, or both is called avoidance. It’s understandable but worsens our anxiety the more we do it.
We, being the wise and evolved creatures that we are, realize we can avoid this by fleeing, Procrastination, numbing, etc. We are communicating to our brain and body that the avoided thing is a threat to our safety, and we are stuck in a cycle of anxiety/avoidance.
Not sure if you are avoiding or coped. You should ask yourself the questions.
- Am I making an intentional choice to do this, rather than because I’m on autopilot?
- Am I doing a shy girl workout as a choice, not because I feel like I can’t work out otherwise?
- Am I making a point of dealing with my anxiety?
Linda Baggett, a licensed psychologist in California, New York, Virginia and Washington who helps women repair their relationships with their bodies, eating and movement, says that if you answered “yes” to those questions, you’re likely to cope adaptively.
She said it is important to ask yourself if it is interfering with your life. It is probably fine if it is not causing you any distress or interfering in your relationships. She recommended that you see a therapist if you want to live a more tranquil life.
It is ok if you are struggling. You’re human. What is important is where you go next. Tenney encouraged self-compassion, deep breathing, talking to a loved one, breaking tasks down into smaller bites and sticking to your values.
It might look like talking to yourself the way you would talk to a friend, inhaling for four counts then exhaling for four counts, and not forcing yourself to.
Gym anxiety is a normal part of the job. It is also a feeling that you can deal with. Here is some advice from therapists.
Reframe your thoughts to help others.
Adjusting your perspective is encouraged by Vivyan. She said that instead of thinking, “Everyone is looking at me and they think I look stupid,” she would think. Try to tell yourself something like, “I might not know what I’m doing, but I’m giving it my all.” If it doesn’t feel genuine, it won’t be beneficial.
This skill can help with other thoughts as well. You can remind yourself that other people’s thoughts are not yours, and that if someone is having negative judgments about your body, that comes from a place of ableism, healthism and/or fatphobia.
This will take time and practice, but you will get there. Baggett said to practice self-compassion. It is hard to deal with anxiety. You are doing the best you can and you are not a bad person.
She said you could pair deep breathing with a helpful thought. If your heart rate goes up, remind yourself that it is safe and it will pass.
Baggett said you should take one more step each time you face your fear. She said that if you go to the gym and sit in the sauna or walk slowly on the treadmill, it will help you get used to being in the gym.
She stated that time is an important factor. It can take up to 40 minutes of doing a scary thing for your body to realize it is okay and for the anxiety to go away. It is important to challenge yourself in ways that are doable and time-extensive.
We hear that it’s hard to face those gym nerves. You have skills and tools that can make it easier to do.
