How to Beat Gym Anxiety

Exercising is a great way to deal with both stress and weight issues however, as things begin to gradually open back up after the COVID19 pandemic, many of us are facing difficulties returning to the gym. 

Whether this difficulty is coming from the fear of contracting the virus, fear of judgement from others in the gym, not being able to reach your ideal weight goal or general anxiety, we have highlighted a few steps you can take that might make your return to the gym less difficult.

1. Focus on your goal: There can, often, be many distractions when it comes to working out – right from the planning stage sometimes. How many people will be there? What workouts should I do? Which shoes to wear. Which membership to get. While these concerns are valid and important to think over, they can, sometimes, distract us or even become excuses to not start that workout. You might not reach your ideals in the blink of an eye but starting is important and discipline is key. Remember, when you are focused, reaching your goals will get easier with time.

2. Start Slow: You want to lose 10 pounds in a week? Well, while that is an extraordinary goal and one that can be achieved, it is not wise to throw your body into something that intense right off the bat. Start building your stamina slowly and hit small goals in intervals. Also, always remember to stretch before your workouts. This step often gets rushed when returning to the gym because you might want to hit the weights and machines as soon as possible, however, stretching is an essential part of working out and it should never be skipped. 

3. Avoid busy hours: If you are anxious about crowds, try going to the gym during off-peak hours. Hours that are the most busy are, generally, early mornings and right after work (ex. 7-9am and 5-6pm). 

4. Take company: Taking your friend, partner, sibling etc. can be a great way to avoid awkward situations and crowds and it can make your workout much more fun as you can challenge each other, talk, make playlists together and try new workouts and machines together. 

5. Plug in those headphones: Spotify has some great playlists made for workouts, an excellent selection of songs to choose from and very entertaining podcasts to make your workouts more interesting. 

If you need a good workout playlist, check out our very own Kingsway Boxing Club Workout Playlist. 

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Nonetheless, if you are not ready to go back to the gym in person, there is no need to force yourself into any form of discomfort. There are tons of virtual workout videos you can access, including Kingsway Boxing Club’s (partnered with Beaver Boxing and Stockyards Fitness) very own Virtual On-Demand Library that you can access here.

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