Gym Anxiety Is Real. TikTok’s ‘Shy Girl Workouts’ Can Help.

Whether you’ve just joined a gym, are getting back into it, or have been going to it consistently, you may be experiencing some anxiety. Will people judge how you look? Will they stare at you or make a rude comment if you stretch incorrectly? And oh my God, could the machine be none stronger?

you can too struggle with exercise if you have asthma or other physical condition. Can your body handle the training?

Since we live in a culture that places so much emphasis on appearance and “resisting,” it is understandable that many of us experience anxiety in the gym. Sometimes the fear is so strong that you may not feel able to go even if you want to.

Other than exercise outdoors or do it at home, which is also valid, if they are not signs of avoidance (more on that later), “shy girl workouts” is an option that you may have seen on TikTok.

TikTok creators like Fitpie Fitness (@fitpie365) and Stephanie Besna (@stephaniebesna) have created videos showcasing exercises you can do if you’re feeling self-conscious at the gym. These are usually quieter moves and/or ones you can do against a wall or even in your bedroom.

For example, this video of Besna it involves lifting weights in the back of the room without noisy machines. Y this video from Fitpie Fitness shows exercises you can do anywhere without machines or weights. (By the way, TikTok is full of more examples on #shygirlworkouts.)

That’s great and all, but what’s the problem?

Gym anxiety is real and common, whether you experience it or not. Statistically, at least 50% of Americans Working out in front of others is nerve-wracking, but as you know, the gym is also hard to avoid because it has so many weights, fitness classes, and machines that many of us can’t afford (or fit into our homes).

You may also be facing more anxiety right now because of where we are with the pandemic. “After the 2020 pandemic shutdown, we all had a period of weeks, months or even years where we didn’t set foot in a gym full of strangers,” he said. Erika They liveda psychologist licensed in Texas who specializes in anxiety. “That means our comfort zone has shrunk to our home gym or small group, and we have to build that comfort zone by expanding it again. We almost always learn to fear what we avoid, even if we didn’t avoid it out of social concern or shyness in the first place.”

And that’s not all. As mentioned earlier, fatphobia Y diet culture play a role, too. “Furthermore, we live in a culture that places a high value [on] how bodies look, so it’s not surprising that gym anxiety is prevalent.” said Sydney Tenney, a primary therapist with slightly behavioral health in San Diego, Calif.

Being aware of those reasons and realizing that your anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of is paramount to both your mental and physical health. “Having the self-awareness to identify that you need ‘shy girl’ moves is incredibly helpful,” she said. Rachel Trot, Certified personal trainer and fitness specialist. “When it comes to the benefits of exercise, consistency is everything, so any strategy that helps you be more consistent will allow you to get more benefits from movement.”

Even if you don’t have a problem with anxiety in the gym, you may feel uncomfortable with certain machines or exercises, which can help with workouts for shy girls.

“Not everyone thinks of them as ‘shy girl’ exercises, but I frequently make adjustments to my clients’ strength training programs because they feel uncomfortable performing certain movements in the gym,” said Trotta. (Common culprits? Hip and glute thrusts, as well as gym equipment and jumping jacks, from time to time.)

Do you need workout ideas for shy girls? For cardio, this can be like finding a treadmill against the far wall or even walking outside.

For strength training, the following exercises don’t involve an awkward position or require great balance, according to Heather Perren, senior head trainer at Lagre Fitness.

1. Grab a set of hand weights.

2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then sit in a mini squat by sending your tailbone back, bending your knees and twisting your torso slightly forward.

3. With your elbows hugging your ribs, start with your palms facing up.

4. Slowly extend your triceps to the gentle elbow and return to the starting position. (The goal is eight to 10 seconds in each direction as you feel your core activate.)

5. Keep your elbows high, your shoulders relaxed, and your collarbones wide.

6. Try doing these extensions for a minute.

1. Put a resistance band on a door.

2. Turn to face the side of the room, gripping the handle with both hands in the center of your chest.

3. Keep a slight bend in your knees and keep your torso upright with your shoulders stacked over your hips.

4. Roll away from the door to the back of your space, without moving your hips.

5. Slowly return your torso to the starting position.

6. Keep your hands away from your chest and keep your elbows raised.

7. Maintain constant tension on your core throughout the duration.

8. Try to perform for a minute on each side.

For your buttocks and back:

1. Attach two resistance bands to an attached door bracket at the bottom of a door.

2. Grab both handles and start by standing in a split position.

3. As you lunge down, both knees will bend into two 90-degree bends, simultaneously pulling the handles toward you, rowing them to the sides as you descend.

4. As you slowly climb back to the top, your arms slowly release at the same slow pace as your legs.

5. Avoid taking the break at the top (translation: no locked knees or elbows).

6. Aim for two minutes.

If you’ve experienced anxiety in other areas of your life, you know that making changes to keep your anxiety at bay can be a way of escaping. Avoidance is the practice of moving away from a place, activity, object, etc. because you feel anxious about it or about what may happen as a consequence. While relatable and understandable, it usually makes our anxiety worse the more we do it.

“We, being the wise and evolved creatures that we are, realize that we can avoid this discomfort by running away, procrastinating, numbing ourselves, etc,” Tenney explained. “While this lowers our anxiety, albeit temporarily, we are also communicating to our brain and body that what we are avoiding is, in fact, a threat to our safety… We find ourselves stuck in an anxiety/avoidance cycle.”

Not sure if you’re coping or avoiding? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Am I making an intentional decision to do this, rather than because I’m on autopilot?
2. Am I doing a shy girl exercise as a choice, not because I feel like I can’t exercise any other way?
3. Am I trying to deal with my anxiety?

If you answered “yes” to those questions, you’re probably coping adaptively, not avoiding, according to Linda Baggetta psychologist licensed in California, New York, Virginia, and Washington who helps women repair their relationships with their bodies, food, and movement.

“It’s also important to ask yourself if it’s interfering with your life,” he added. “If it’s not causing you distress or inconvenience, or interfering with your relationships, it’s probably fine.” If not, she recommended seeing a therapist to help him work through the anxiety so he can live a more fulfilling and peaceful life.

And if you’re struggling, that’s fine. you’re human. What matters is where you go next. Tenney encouraged mindfulness, self-compassion, deep breathing, talking to a loved one, breaking down tasks into smaller parts, and sticking to your values ​​as big next steps.

This might seem like talking to yourself the way you would talk to a friend, inhale to a count of four then exhale to a count of four, bring a friend with you, start with the machine you feel most comfortable with, doing a little at a timeand not forcing yourself to exercise if it is not a value of yours.

Anxiety in the gym, while unpleasant, is normal. It’s also a feeling you can handle. Here are some tips from therapists that can help:

Reframe your thoughts to be more helpful (with self-compassion)

Vivyan encourages you to adjust your perspective. For example, she said, instead of thinking, “Everyone looks at me and thinks I look stupid!” He tries to tell himself something more helpful and truthful, like “I may not know what I’m doing, but I’m giving it my all!” Make sure it seems genuine to you as well, or it won’t be as beneficial.

This ability can also be used for other thoughts. If you’re concerned about people judging your body, you can remind yourself that “other people’s thoughts are none of your business and if someone has negative judgments about your body, that’s coming from a place of disability, health, and/or fatphobia, in rather than a valid comment on its value,” Baggett said.

This will take time and practice, which can be frustrating, but you’ll get there. “Practice self-compassion,” Baggett added. “It’s hard to be anxious. You’re doing the best you can and you’re not a bad person.”

He also said that you can combine deep breathing with helpful thinking. For example, she explained that if your heart rate goes up, remind yourself, “It’s just my body’s response to exercise; It’s safe and it will pass.”

Baggett also encouraged going one step further each time you work on facing your fear. “For example, maybe you go to the gym and just sit in the sauna or walk super slowly on the treadmill, just to get your body used to being in the gym,” he said.

However, he clarified that time is an important factor. “Sometimes it takes up to 40 minutes of doing something frightening but objectively safe for your body to realize it’s okay and for the anxiety response to dissipate,” she explained. That’s why it’s important to challenge yourself in doable, time-consuming ways.

Coping with those gym nerves is hard, we hear you. But remember: you do have tools and skills that can make it less stressful, and maybe even enjoyable.