Scared of new gym get panic attacks
AsrarHussain
Posts: 1,424 Member
I went to a new gym today thinking it would be empty I went 12 am at night it was packed. When I was in school I had a school psychologist who told me I have a problem with adapting to new surroundings. I started getting panic attacks I feel like cancelling my membership. I just felt so crap going into the gym I felt I was weak and puny. I know it's only a gym but I don't know why.
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Replies
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Do you pay for this membership? If so, then maybe you don't need to. You don't have to go to the gym to workout and stay in shape, if it makes you uncomfortable. If its free, you may want to try to get used to it. IDK. I don't go to the gym over the summer. I work out at home.0
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I would use this as a stepping stone to work through this anxiety. Put your ear buds in and do in there and just do your thing. You arent there to impress or talk to anyone. You are doing this to better yourself. Dont just quit!0
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Work out at home???0
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I could have written this post! I absolutely have "gym phobia"...I had a few bad experiences in college - too crowded, not knowing the etiquette, feeling foolish, out of my comfort zone and it kept me from going to gyms for years. I finally found one that isn't too crowded but is very clean and nice, and although it's more expensive, I just cut back elsewhere because I know I won't go if I'm uncomfortable. I think gyms can be rather clique-ish...so in addition to feeling uncomfortable because of my weight, I can't stand clique-ish. I think what you're feelings are probably more normal than you think...what I've done is to work within my comfort zone and then grow slowly...0
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I ride my bike mostly outside but the gym is important for winter and rainy days. This is the way I look at it. I want everyone to see how overweight I am. I want them to get used to seeing me. When I lose the weight I want them to witness it. So when I go into the gym at 95 overweight, go ahead and look, go ahead and judge. When that one person says, "damn you lost a lot of weight" it will be worth it.0
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I had this same problem. Like others have said; you don't HAVE to work out at the gym. What I did was start hyping myself up in a positive way instead of negative. Such as "I can do this, it's only the gym" Instead of "I know I'm going to panic,,etc". It really did help. Good luck.0
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Do you pay for this membership? If so, then maybe you don't need to. You don't have to go to the gym to workout and stay in shape, if it makes you uncomfortable. If its free, you may want to try to get used to it. IDK. I don't go to the gym over the summer. I work out at home.
I dont know why everyone was bigger than me LOL so i was feeling uncomfortable LOL0 -
I would use this as a stepping stone to work through this anxiety. Put your ear buds in and do in there and just do your thing. You arent there to impress or talk to anyone. You are doing this to better yourself. Dont just quit!
thats what i was thinking when i entered the gym I got a sudden attack I stayed in the gym. I felt like leaving but i stayed for a little longer. I pushed myself.0 -
Work out at home???
I tried could not to many distractions at home LOL it took me ages to get settled in the gym beside my house. I cant go there because it closes at 9 and I am fasting and the fast opens 10.0 -
I have to kind of agree with this. I could tell you to workout at home, like some others have...but suspect you're here on MFP to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! You can totally do this...and you're a lot stronger than you think!I would use this as a stepping stone to work through this anxiety. Put your ear buds in and do in there and just do your thing. You arent there to impress or talk to anyone. You are doing this to better yourself. Dont just quit!
Good luck, and hang in there. I'm sure lots of people are scared when they start something new.0 -
ASK for help... I know that might seem hard, especially since you've already expressed high anxiety, but call the gym, explain your new, and your nervous, and ask if they can arrange a free demonstration of all the equipment and then you can get a feel for the whole place with someone who knows it all.
Also, inquire if they have times when they aren't as busy as at midnight.
Hope this helps.
btw - midnight seems sooo late to me... I'm tired just thinking about working out that late LOL
Good luck0 -
I could have written this post! I absolutely have "gym phobia"...I had a few bad experiences in college - too crowded, not knowing the etiquette, feeling foolish, out of my comfort zone and it kept me from going to gyms for years. I finally found one that isn't too crowded but is very clean and nice, and although it's more expensive, I just cut back elsewhere because I know I won't go if I'm uncomfortable. I think gyms can be rather clique-ish...so in addition to feeling uncomfortable because of my weight, I can't stand clique-ish. I think what you're feelings are probably more normal than you think...what I've done is to work within my comfort zone and then grow slowly...
I feel the same exact way I could not describe you described it perfect.0 -
I ride my bike mostly outside but the gym is important for winter and rainy days. This is the way I look at it. I want everyone to see how overweight I am. I want them to get used to seeing me. When I lose the weight I want them to witness it. So when I go into the gym at 95 overweight, go ahead and look, go ahead and judge. When that one person says, "damn you lost a lot of weight" it will be worth it.
I lost alot of people alot of people in the gym were complimenting me for loosing alot of weight. I felt good.0 -
I went to a new gym today thinking it would be empty I went 12 am at night it was packed. When I was in school I had a school psychologist who told me I have a problem with adapting to new surroundings. I started getting panic attacks I feel like cancelling my membership. I just felt so crap going into the gym I felt I was weak and puny. I know it's only a gym but I don't know why.
Maybe ask the gym staff if there's a time during the day when there are a lot less people around. Good luck!0 -
I went to a new gym today thinking it would be empty I went 12 am at night it was packed. When I was in school I had a school psychologist who told me I have a problem with adapting to new surroundings. I started getting panic attacks I feel like cancelling my membership. I just felt so crap going into the gym I felt I was weak and puny. I know it's only a gym but I don't know why.
Everyone needs to start somewhere.0 -
I had this same problem. Like others have said; you don't HAVE to work out at the gym. What I did was start hyping myself up in a positive way instead of negative. Such as "I can do this, it's only the gym" Instead of "I know I'm going to panic,,etc". It really did help. Good luck.
so positive thinking that a good idea0 -
I have to kind of agree with this. I could tell you to workout at home, like some others have...but suspect you're here on MFP to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! You can totally do this...and you're a lot stronger than you think!I would use this as a stepping stone to work through this anxiety. Put your ear buds in and do in there and just do your thing. You arent there to impress or talk to anyone. You are doing this to better yourself. Dont just quit!
Good luck, and hang in there. I'm sure lots of people are scared when they start something new.
thank you im 21 years old I felt like a idiot its only a gym. I dont know why I was feeling like this.0 -
ASK for help... I know that might seem hard, especially since you've already expressed high anxiety, but call the gym, explain your new, and your nervous, and ask if they can arrange a free demonstration of all the equipment and then you can get a feel for the whole place with someone who knows it all.
Also, inquire if they have times when they aren't as busy as at midnight.
Hope this helps.
btw - midnight seems sooo late to me... I'm tired just thinking about working out that late LOL
Good luck
I asked them if they were busy at night they said it is dead. I went 12 am night it was packed full LOL.0 -
I went to a new gym today thinking it would be empty I went 12 am at night it was packed. When I was in school I had a school psychologist who told me I have a problem with adapting to new surroundings. I started getting panic attacks I feel like cancelling my membership. I just felt so crap going into the gym I felt I was weak and puny. I know it's only a gym but I don't know why.
Maybe ask the gym staff if there's a time during the day when there are a lot less people around. Good luck!
there was no gym staff to be seen. I can only workout this time because I am fasting for ramadan.0 -
Anxiety disorders are a real thing. Nobody CHOOSES to feel that way....but I bet you can work through it :drinker:
I have to kind of agree with this. I could tell you to workout at home, like some others have...but suspect you're here on MFP to CHANGE YOUR LIFE! You can totally do this...and you're a lot stronger than you think!I would use this as a stepping stone to work through this anxiety. Put your ear buds in and do in there and just do your thing. You arent there to impress or talk to anyone. You are doing this to better yourself. Dont just quit!
Good luck, and hang in there. I'm sure lots of people are scared when they start something new.
thank you im 21 years old I felt like a idiot its only a gym. I dont know why I was feeling like this.
Don't be afraid to get therapy for it if you can. I have a family member who was extremely Agorphobic when she was younger (so much that she rarely left the house), and she went to threapy and is quite outgoing now!0 -
I dont know why everyone was bigger than me LOL so i was feeling uncomfortable LOL
The big guys started out smaller too. I respect anyone that actually gets into the gym at all. I hope that respect is reciprocated throughout.
BTW, I used to have issues with crowds, etc. Still do in a way.
Breathe... concentrate on yourself. Do you're workout for yourself and screw everything else.
Best of luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress, and if you need some encouragement, just ping your friends here.
Cheers,
Teddie0 -
Can you get an induction at the gym?
I was a bit apprehensive about joining a gym, but when I joined our local one at the start of the year I got the induction which showed me how to use all the machines, and the instructor also gave me a programme to work on so I felt as if I knew where to start, now I love it.0 -
I went to a new gym today thinking it would be empty I went 12 am at night it was packed. When I was in school I had a school psychologist who told me I have a problem with adapting to new surroundings. I started getting panic attacks I feel like cancelling my membership. I just felt so crap going into the gym I felt I was weak and puny. I know it's only a gym but I don't know why.
Everyone needs to start somewhere.
iv been going to a local gym because im fasting the only time i can workout is at night so this is only soloution0 -
I ride my bike mostly outside but the gym is important for winter and rainy days. This is the way I look at it. I want everyone to see how overweight I am. I want them to get used to seeing me. When I lose the weight I want them to witness it. So when I go into the gym at 95 overweight, go ahead and look, go ahead and judge. When that one person says, "damn you lost a lot of weight" it will be worth it.
I love this. It's kinda how I feel. When I first joined the gym, I felt like I was always the biggest one there which would cause me to not want to go. It used to freak me out. But then I figured, I don't care about these other people, I'm in here because I want to work hard. I zoned everybody else out and now I can't stay away from the gym. And yes, I get the compliments and they make me feel good.0 -
Pinpoint what's bothering you. I too have problems with the unknown (and, like you, get panic attacks in result), but I get a little better when I look at the situation and say, "There! That's what's making me shut down!" Is it the noise? The lighting? The number of people? The fear of being judged or injured?
Go one more time and really listen to whatever your body is saying. If you get red flags in the weight lifting section, start panicking as soon as you enter the building, or feel uncomfortable on the cardio equipment try and figure out why. If you run away, you'll never get better. I've found that facing anxiety head-on has done wonders for me.
I was absolutely petrified of running in public and now I do it without thinking twice. I realized it was people looking at me that made me so nervous (if I trip, they'll laugh; if I go too fast or slow, they'll notice; if I breathe too hard, they'll think I'm dumb; etc.). I forced myself to run along heavily populated roads (I used to run on deserted streets and at weird hours so no one could see me) . Once I did that, I trained myself to watch the drivers and realized that NO one (with the exception of the occasional creep) was watching. And -- let's be honest -- the creep does not care about my speed or breathing.
You'll get there. It'll just take some time, patience, and bravery.
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Keep trying, it's worth it. I used to be so scared to go to the gym. I started going to the tiny gym at my apartment complex because usually it was empty. But sometimes I would walk in, see someone in there, and turn around and walk right back out! (Without even thinking about it... it was like I physically COULDN'T make myself go in there when there were other people around). Especially because I'm a girl and I wanted to start lifting, and I thought I would look stupid trying to figure out the moves.
Late at night is actually a popular time for gyms because no one is at school/work! If you can, I've found the best time to go is around 10am or 3pm... times when people are normally working or in class. It's usually pretty empty then. I started going to my University gym (huge) and when I went at those times it was never crowded. And my apartment gym is always totally empty at those times.
I'm so glad I got over my fear of the gym because I've seen so much improvement since I started going. I don't know where I'd be if I had never started lifting! Plus, I live in Florida, and there are some days I absolutely can't bear to run outside (way too hot). Those are the times I'm really glad to have access to a treadmill!0 -
Anxiety blows. Truly. I get it sometimes and totally out of the blue, sometimes I have no idea what even caused it. It can be debilitating and stop you in your tracks so I feel your pain. My advice though is to keep trying to go to the gym. If you give in and let it keep you from doing what you want to do it will grow and enter other parts of your life as well. Try thinking positive thoughts. Remind yourself that these fears are truly in your head, they are almost never really grounded in reality, that you will be fine and none of the awful thoughts you are thinking are actually going to happen. Stick it out as long as you can before leaving and next time you go try to stay a little bit longer. It may not be easy to do but don't let anxiety rule your life. Seek therapy if you can. Often talking with someone really helps me through it. They help me to distinguish between the fears in my head and the true reality of those fears. Sometimes I will need medication for a few days to get me over it. Also, don't let having anxiety issues make you feel negative towards yourself. It is far more common than you know and most everyone I know has dealt with it one way or another. I wish you the best!!0
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I felt that way.....and so brought a safe good friend with me because I didn't want a stupid building filled with strangers to do that to me (kind of a rebellion against the panic)....do you have anyone you can do this with? If not, walk......I have walked off a lot of stress and weight in the early mornings and it's great having the entire neighborhood all to myself. Hang in there!0
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Everyone in the gym is there for the same reason - they wanna keep fit, just like you! Whatever a person's goal, whether to build muscle, get stronger, run further/faster, lose weight, whatever, everyone had to start to somewhere! Good on you for getting in that gym and kudos to you for addressing your anxiety issues. You should be proud (and keep up the good work!).0
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I ride my bike mostly outside but the gym is important for winter and rainy days. This is the way I look at it. I want everyone to see how overweight I am. I want them to get used to seeing me. When I lose the weight I want them to witness it. So when I go into the gym at 95 overweight, go ahead and look, go ahead and judge. When that one person says, "damn you lost a lot of weight" it will be worth it.
That is a GREAT attitude. . . I love it!!!0
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