Working Out With Anxiety

Written by: Matt Marion

You’re tired of stress and feeling out of shape. Or you want to try something you never thought you could do before. So you set out to make exercise a routine part of your life. You are more motivated than ever to get healthy! But you’re nervous to start. The thought of stepping into a gym makes you shaky. Or maybe you are a regular gym member but some days you notice a feeling of anxiety around working out. You may wonder to yourself “I love working out and I thought exercise was supposed to help me get rid of this feeling. So why am I still feeling it?”. You are not alone. Here I'd like to share a little bit of my experience with the topic at hand and offer some insights and tips to help you move through that dreaded feeling of anxiety.

Anxiety is something that can be incredibly irrational. The source of it can be hard to pinpoint, and when you think you found the problem, another one may just pop up and continue the cycle. Sadly, the worst part is that there's still a pretty big stigma associated with anxiety today. My aim here is to be open and honest about it, not just someone who suffers from it, but as a fitness professional as well. Mental health is a crucial part of overall health, and it has a direct impact on the state of your physical health.

I am an avid supporter of mental health awareness. I’ve struggled with ups and downs at the low AND high points of my life. Even during things I regularly do and enjoy. It may be surprising to hear that as a personal trainer, I often deal with my own feelings of anxiety in the gym. The fact is that no one is immune to the motivational and psychological obstacle that people can face during exercise, and hopefully just hearing that makes some of you feel a little better. Exercising isn't stressful in and of itself to me. It's not the environment either; I love my job, the members, my co-workers, and Spa 23. It really is a second home to me and there's no doubt at some point you've seen me on break with an ear to ear smile while working out, playing racquetball (I want my rematch Cary), or chatting with people in the lobby. The staff and members are awesome and supportive. So what is it then? Anxiety can be a general feeling that latches itself onto things that are otherwise not stressful. We put so much effort into turning the gym into our de-stressing zone, that it ends up being the opposite when we hit a speedbump. Here are some things I've experienced, and some things I’ve noticed that have helped me deal with the anxiety, or in some cases, helped me get rid of it entirely:

Don’t be afraid to change it up.

I can remember many days where i noticed that what i was doing wasn’t working and i was no longer getting results from it. You can be doing so well and loving it and the very next day it can feel like it’s not as effective. You have to constantly be progressing what you do, which can be stressful. One of the things I tell clients is that you have to feel good about your workout, and that makes the workout feel good. Kinda like that feeling when you wear your favorite outfit on a night out. You just feel good and it impacts everything else. So much of exercise is tied to mental health and it directly impacts physical health and performance. If you love your workouts they will give you so much more in return, so if you start to not feel so excited about the gym or even anxious about going, maybe it’s time to mix it up.

You have no idea what to change or you did and it didn’t quite work.

My answer is most often what people are hesitant to do. Ask for help. Speaking to strangers is a huge source of anxiety to me too. But! The trainers are all very happy to help you with questions. Try some sessions out and you may realize you like having a trainer! I ask my co-workers and even members all the time what their favorite exercises are and some become MY favorite. A fresh perspective can change everything.

Stick with new things you’ve started.

New things may not be easily picked up on. Try it more than a few times, maybe even give it a break and try again in the near future. For me, this was Crossfit. I took a few classes and had mixed thoughts. I felt sore and exhausted more than normal, and the environment felt odd to me. I tried again a month or so later and felt much better. So much in fact that I went and got certified as a Level 1 Crossfit Trainer. So much of my training and my ideology on movement changed because of it. The reason it felt so tiring at first is that it was all new movement patterns to me. A different way of doing things than I was used to. Deciding to go back to it and stick to what I started is one of the best decisions I feel I’ve ever made.

Don’t worry about judgement.

This is probably the biggest source of anxiety, even some people that have been going to the gym regularly. Trying new things or doing things in a crowded room can be hard. One of the reasons I felt so mixed about CrossFit was the people in class. The dynamic of the room threw me off. They weren’t jerks, but they all knew what they were doing. They knew the terminology, the movements, and regularly talked to each other. I was the new guy. I worked in the corner for my first few classes because my anxiety made me feel like an outsider. It was all in my head. When I went back and tried class for the second time, I was partnered with someone who knew their stuff, and something awesome happened. He helped me and encouraged me the entire time. Gave me tips and cheered me on and didn’t mind that we finished last. As the coaches at my crossfit seminar said, crossfit has an image problem. But it's not just crossfit, it’s gyms in general. It's not all meatheads slamming weights. You realize that it's just a few people that spoil it for everyone. When you get into a good box you realize that it’s a community that helps each other. Taking class is always a blast now and is some of the most fun I have ever had. We are hardwired to believe everyone will get annoyed when we reach out. You just have to break through that anxiety and realize it is the opposite. Some of my best friends at the gym all came from one of us saying “Hey, got a second?”.

Have a plan, and keep it simple.

This was a big one for me. As a trainer, I need to have multiple ways to achieve goals so I can help everyone. That library of exercises and moves in my mind can be overwhelming. I found myself trying to fit too much variety into my routine, or second guessing the ones I chose. This is something I’m embarrassed to admit but the feeling of knowing what to do for everyone else but not being able to program for myself was frustrating, and it led to being anxious when it was my time to work out. Some days I ended up getting nothing done just because I was worrying so much. I have had far more results doing literally just an hour of deadlifts than I have doing a 3 hour pull day. I knew what I wanted to work, and kept it simple. You don’t need to cram everything into a single session to succeed.

Workout buddies!

Anxiety thrives most when you are alone or have too much time for idle thought. Especially if you are still new to the gym, it can really affect you. Working out with other people is a fun way to not only socialize, but it keeps you focused. I always find myself pushing harder and getting more out of my workout during class or with my co-workers. But the most important part is I always find myself in an incredibly calm state.

So there you go! Hopefully I've helped you with some of the stress that comes from working out. If you have any questions about something here, or anything you need help with that i may have missed, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to email me at matt@spa23.com. Stay happy and stay healthy!