Going to the gym is often scary for most women compared to others. Whether it’s from fear of being looked at or judged, or of feeling stupid in front of others, there are all kinds of reasons that can intimidate some, would-be gym-goers.
If we all are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that going to the gym can be stressful. Working out among strangers is far from natural for some people (especially women) and the fear of judgment is never far away. Especially when it comes to being faced with a machine you’ve never used before, and you don’t know how it works.
According to research , two-thirds of women report feeling intimidated by the gym, compared to 36% of men. More than half of women are afraid of not being fit enough to exercise, while a quarter are afraid of being judged.
For these women (or men), TikTok can be a solution. The social network is full of #ShyGirlWorkout videos. This hashtag has nearly 198 million views. In the videos, women share tips on how to feel more comfortable in the gym.
@califullerfit you deserve to be there just as much as anybody else! #gymanxiety
These workout videos focus on exercises that require little or no equipment. The goal is to stick with simple exercises that are easy to remember and perform, and which will nevertheless work your body. For example, curls to work the biceps, or lunges and squats to work the legs and glutes.
Many coaches share their videos to help men and women who struggle with gym anxiety.
According to Alex Medlock who is a fitness coach advises people to “make a plan” so that they know exactly what they’re going to do, then choose comfortable clothes and avoid comparison with others. “Everyone is in the gym to work on themselves, they aren’t paying attention to you,” the fitness coach explains in an Instagram post. “Put on a baseball hat, pump your favourite tunes in your headphones and focus on you.” she said in a TikTok post.
@alexxmedlock How to go from shy to flyyyyy in the gym #shygirl #CheetosReaperReactions #ItsGreatOutdoors #AmazonMusicProudHeroes #workouts #fitness #fittok
