By now almost everyone knows how good it is for our body to engage in some kind of exercise on a day to day basis. The fitness wave has spread to all the corners of the world making it a motivation for people to get healthier and fitter in the long run. This has resulted in so many people flocking over to gyms and hiring personal trainers. Our social media feeds are also filled with exercise motivation galore. But there is often a much less discussed aspect of this whole situation and that is suffering from exercise anxiety.
If you do not already know what it means, we are here to explain it all to you. As the name suggests, exercise anxiety is the anxiety which is attached to all aspects of exercising, be it the fear of getting hurt, people judging you or even going to the gym. Many people suffer from varied degrees of this exercise anxiety without even realizing it. This manifests most strongly whilst starting a new regime and gradually dissipates over time. But this can turn off a lot of people from exercising once and for all. So we are here to discuss this common problem and to suggest some ways in which you can overcome it.
- The Struggle To Begin:
The biggest challenge which any newbie faces the most is beginning the exercise routine. Motivation is not really a big problem at the start as you are already quite full of it and pumped up to begin. But many times what ends up stumping you is what exercise to do which is going to suit you the most. Since there are plenty of options to turn towards, the mind tends to get utterly confused because of that. But it is important to remember to just start. Try out every exercise and form of working out, and you will eventually find one which is the perfect fit for you.
- Anxiety About Getting Hurt:
The other important thing related to exercise anxiety is worrying about injuring yourself whilst doing it. While injuries can occur for absolutely anyone, even people who have been working out for a long time, this is especially nerve racking for amateurs. What can help in such a case is to look out for a proper stretching routine which you can do before and after your daily exercise. You can also seek guidance from your friends or family members who are fitness enthusiasts. Keeping a cool pack handy to soothe any strains or scrapes also functions as a beneficial trick to ease that anxiety. - Not Knowing When To Rest:
A common mistake that people who start out with an exercise routine do is to want to do everything way too quickly. They basically do not know when to pause and rest their muscles. This can be especially damaging to them as your muscles are not exactly used to the kind of workouts that you are suddenly inflicting on them, leading to burn outs and straining. Listen to your body about when to rest and do not push it a lot in the hope of faster results. Use a hot compress to ease the muscle tension in between workouts, during the rest period.
- The Worry About Stagnation:
There comes a time where you have been working out for a fair few days or even months but do not see a change in your physique at all. It could also be that your weight remains constant for a long period of time. This can be a difficult pill to swallow as these instances can demotivate you in no time. The only way to tackle this problem is to develop a holistic approach to it all. Focus on how good you feel inside when you workout instead of making external factors like weight your main motivator to do that on a regular basis. - The Place To Workout:
Sometimes it can be a challenge to find a good place to workout. This is especially the case if you are a shy or an introverted person in general. If you are conscious about your body, you may keep wondering what people think about you or how you will begin to use the endless fitness equipment available. In such a case, you can opt for less crowded times to workout at the gym so that you can focus on your own exercise instead of people’s opinions about you. You can also workout in certain secluded areas of parks to be able to exercise in peace.
- Confusion Related To Fitness Equipment:
There are many instances where you do not understand what equipment to use to workout. Or even something like how to use it can plague you. But it is important to understand that you have to start somewhere and that everyone was once just as clueless about these as you are feeling right now. Do not hesitate to ask for guidance from reliable sources in your vicinity. This can come from gym trainers, friends, your peer group etc. You can also seek help from the endless amount of videos which are so readily available online. - Gender Based Divides:
There can be certain anxieties attached with gender based divides. These can come in the form of liking weight training but thinking of it as a masculine activity or that it will give you muscles. The important thing to remember here is that fitness is not a gendered construct. Anyone can do anything, as long as their body allows it and they feel comfortable doing it. So dispel these worries from your head and focus on how much you enjoy a particular activity instead.
If you yourself suffer from exercise anxiety, we really hope that this article was able to help you to find a way to workout without worrying unnecessarily. If you know of someone in your social group who suffers from the same issues, do make it a point to share this post with them as well. In the meantime, we hope you keep working out and stay healthy and happy.
