004: How To Overcome Gym Anxiety

Feeling anxious about stepping into a gym? You're not alone. In this episode of Not So Typical Fitness, host Rhiannon Cooper—personal trainer, neurodivergent advocate, and gym anxiety survivor—breaks down the fears, sensory challenges, and misconceptions that make gyms feel overwhelming.

From dealing with noise sensitivity to finding confidence in new environments, Rhiannon shares practical strategies to make fitness more accessible. Whether you're struggling to walk through the door or unsure how to navigate gym equipment, this episode provides the insights and encouragement you need to take that first step.

0:00 Introduction to the Podcast
0:38 What is Gym Anxiety and Why It Matters
2:02 Why Gym Anxiety Is Common for Everyone
3:29 Misconceptions About Who "Belongs" in a Gym
4:55 My Personal Experience with Gym Anxiety
7:35 Building Routines to Manage Anxiety
9:00 Dealing with Noise Sensitivity in Gyms
10:32 The Importance of Knowing Gym Layout in Advance
12:30 Common Sensory Triggers in Gym Environments
15:35 Overcoming Fear of Judgment
16:58 Acknowledging Struggles and Preparing for Success
18:12 Practical Coping Strategies for Neurodivergent Gym-Goers
19:17 Navigating Equipment and Workout Planning
21:31 Using Sunflower Lanyards and Identifying Needs
22:23 Working with a Personal Trainer for Support
24:19 Progress Takes Time: From Anxiety to PT
26:12 Share Your Experiences and Strategies
27:57 Celebrating Small Wins on Your Fitness Journey
29:00 Final Thoughts on Making Fitness Accessible 

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LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannonc/ 

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Email: rhiannon@notsotypicalfitness.co.uk 

#NeurodivergentFitness #GymTips #InclusiveFitness #ADHD #Autism #PersonalTraining

Ever had a panic attack in the gym car park?

You're not alone. Our complete guide to overcoming gym anxiety reveals why gyms feel so overwhelming for anxious people—and shares 7 proven strategies that actually work.

• The 5 real barriers that make gyms intimidating
• Practical strategies for sensory overload & social anxiety
• Word-for-word gym etiquette scripts
• A realistic 4-week confidence-building plan

Read the Complete Guide HERE

Transcript

0:00

But what you need to do you acknowledge that you will struggle then you can start to look at what you need to do enable you to go into that environment and safeguard your senses. I think that's why this is really important is because need to have(Music) host, Rhiannon Cooper, and I am here to help make fitness accessible and to help you prioritize your health in a way that works for you. Today, I'm going to talk about anxiety when it comes to going to the gym. And trust me, I know a lot about gym anxiety because even though I'm a personal trainer now, I have and still get anxiety when it comes to going into a gym, especially a new gym, one I haven't been to before, think it's actually quite normal. Most people will feel nervous when going to a new that they've never been to before. But when you throw in some neurodivergence into the mix, yeah, it's a lot. It feels like a lot, and it can almost be enough to stop you going on your journey at all. And that's why I want to talk about it today because sometimes when we try and do something, even if it is for our health, we end up not being able to do it before we've even started. And those are the sorts of barriers that I want to try and I want to try and help make fitness accessible. And one of those things is to understand gym anxiety in a that means you can actually work through it rather than have it stop you before you even get started. because you will be fine, but it is scary, and I get that. And I get that. So feeling nervous before you go to a gym is completely normal. It's uncommon. There's nothing wrong with feeling nervous before doing something scary. I think that's pretty standard across the board, neurodivergent or not. I think when you're neurodivergent, there are additional considerations that could be sensory overwhelm once you're inside the gym. So some people will say that once you cross that barrier and go into the door, then you're in and you'll be fine. But the reality is when you're neurodivergent, and even if you're not, if you're extremely anxious, yes, getting through the door is one of the hardest things you will do, but then what? Then what? What next? What happens after that point? And I think that there's a lot of misconceptions So not only is it hard to get into the gym in the sense of walking through the door, but it's also hard once you're inside to know what to do, where to go, who to ask for help. And there are a lot of unknowns if you've never been into a gym before. There's also a lot of overwhelming stuff going on to the senses. So I have struggles with noise and I can get very easily distracted if there's a noise happening that Gym anxiety is really common and and actually more people are impacted by it than you probably imagine. Almost everybody I know that has started a fitness journey at some point in their life and they've not grown up around people going to the gym, feel this anxiety because it is the unknown. It's also a place where you feel you need to look a certain way. Actually, you don't need to look a certain way at all. I think that there's this misconception that you can only go to a gym if you are slim or muscly, muscular, if you obviously work out, but the reality is that the gym actually is a place for you to go to become that person. And nine out of 10 people joined a gym to improve their body. And I would say that the time when they joined, they didn't look the way they look now. So everybody has this moment where they aren't the best version of themselves and they're trying to join a gym and they don't feel that they are that person that belongs in a gym. So that's how you do belong in the gym. So first of all, let's scrap that misconception that you are too big for the gym or you don't know what you're doing so you can't go to the gym because you can. You can go to a gym to improve your health and as long as you have the right attitude, you belong in a gym. Also, you fitter by being in a gym. So it's an interesting dilemma that we have in our minds when it comes to we feel that we will fit in in a gym because everybody has to start somewhere. And if you're gonna start today or tomorrow, that is better than starting the next day or the day after that. And every single person in that gym started once upon a time. They had that first day in the gym where they probably felt the same way. And I think that there is comfort in knowing that is something the majority feel at some point or another in their fitness or gym journey. And it doesn't always go away. So I know with myself, the first time I joined a gym as an adult, I went to a small local leisure center. I had to do an induction and I was so, so scared. I didn't want to do it. I felt like I was going to be sick. I walked there, that was a mistake because it's not far from my house. So I thought I'd walk there. But then I was early because I'm always early. And then I didn't know what to do because usually I'd sit in the car and I would doom scroll probably and phone my wife. But I didn't have that choice. I had to go in the gym and I like how that made me feel. It felt like it took my options away. But I knew I was at a point in my life where I needed to make a change because if I didn't, I was probably going to die early because my health was really quite poor. And so I let that be my driving factor. I needed to go in there because I needed to do an induction in order to use the gym. I just had to get through this. And then I could go on my own terms and I could drive if I wanted. It would be fine. And I went in and I mean, I was sweaty and nervous and shivery. When you get all of these physical symptoms or feelings when you're nervous or have really bad anxiety, I had all of those. I honestly felt like I was going to pass out. I wasn't happy. I did not want to be there. But I just kept telling myself that I have to do this. Then my worst nightmare happened. Well, not my worst nightmare, that's an exaggeration. But in walk, two more people. So it's a group induction, which I guess, oh, there's six of one half dozen of the other here. Kind of good because you can blend into the group. You don't stand out. But kind of bad because the two people that turned up were friends and there was going to be three of us on this induction. So not only was I very nervous and feeling very uncomfortable in our place, but now there were two friends who were much smaller than I was and they knew each other. And I felt like a third wheel. And that just was very reminiscent of school for me. It was quite triggering. I've never really had a friendship group. But I needed to do it. I needed to do it and I was there. And I suppose part of the reason I went through with it is because I did walk in the door. So it would have been harder for me to turn around and walk out, I wasn't happy. I was not happy about this induction. So I just stayed quiet. I went through the motions. I did it. I don't really remember much about it, to be honest. I couldn't tell you anything actually, but I know I did it. And I survived. And after that, I could start going to the gym on my own. And even that was hard. And it was probably hard in that gym. I think if I was there about 12 months, I would say six of those months, it was really hard to go in every time. And it did get slightly easier because I started to build this relationship up with the person at reception. So there's a friendly face and she'd ask how he was and she'd swipe my card. And I'd go in with headphones on so I didn't have to talk. And it was kind of obvious And things like that made me feel more comfortable. So I put things in place to help me. It also helped to block out the noise. So the gym that I'm talking about has a swimming pool and it gives lessons to children, children allowed. And there's the screaming and they're having fun, but they're fun to me is triggering because I'm very noise sensitive. So I would try to avoid getting to any place of overwhelm before I even got into the gym by having these headphones on. Because the moment I hear a child screaming or shouting, having fun, which feels awful to say, I can't cope. I used to have this border collie dog growing up called Evie. And whenever we used to laugh as a family, she would get really stressed and she couldn't cope with it. I now know how she feels because if you are sensitive to noise, it can be really difficult when you are hearing noises that you aren't making yourself and you're not expecting. And sometimes they just jar. They just like get in your head in a way that you can feel. I don't know about anybody else, but it's like I can feel the noise and it just grapes. So headphones before I even go in the gym, before I go in the door on, it just helps to safeguard my overwhelm or my lack of overwhelm, my balance. It helps to safeguard my balance. Now I'd like to say that when I changed gyms, I didn't feel as anxious, but that would be a lie I did. I was so nervous when I changed gyms and I've been to one, two, three, four different gyms since then. Every single time I go to a new one, it is exactly the same. Unfortunately, it's like going into the unknown. think that this is why now I've qualified as a personal trainer that I truly want to make gyms more accessible because it's the little things, right? So not only is it just parking the car in the car park and knowing where the car park is and where the entrance to the car park is, because these sort of things are important, but it's also, once you're through the door, well, how do you get through the barriers or into the pods or whatever setup the gym has? How do you get in? Because there's a difference between going in the door often and then actually scanning or swiping into the gym. know now that if I know these things, it makes it so much easier to go somewhere new. So not only is it a case of getting through the doors, it's a case of knowing the steps that you need to take in a really simple way. And this makes a huge difference. The reason I joined the gym that I'm at now is because between the gyms in my city, because I wanted a new 24-hour gym, this one had a video guide, a video walk-through. It was great. The other one didn't. So even though the other one might have been closer, might have been slightly cheaper, this one had a video guide. So I picked it because I felt like at least I knew where things were. And that makes a big difference, right? To know where the cardio machines are, to know where the toilets are, the lockers, to know if you need to take a padlock or not, to know if there's a vending machine or where the water fountains are, to know where the emergency buttons are that you would press in the event of an emergency. These are things that most neurotypical people do not need to know in advance because they can just work it out when they get there or they can ask the question to somebody and they can find out the answer. When you're neurodivergent, these things and not knowing make something feel impossible. At least they do for me. And I don't speak for everyone. Like I'm not putting words in your mouth if you don't feel like this, but if you do, you will know that by having these video guides of what to expect is going to make a huge, huge difference. And that is why I am an advocate for every gym to have video guides available. You don't need to like promote them, but just have them there because some people are going to find them really, really beneficial. Like that video guide or video walkthrough was the deal maker for me or the decision maker for me when it came to choosing a gym. not just the not knowing. It's also things like the sensory overwhelm that can come from being inside an environment like that. So I'm talking about the fact that gyms are often quite brightly lit or they'll have LED lighting. might also be that they have a lack of sunlight because some gyms are in sort of warehouse style buildings. So the light in there could be 100% artificial. It might be fine for you, but there might be some people that are quite light sensitive. Then if you're doing an exercise class, it might be that they have flashing lights in there. things be quite triggering. Then accompany that with loud music, because let's face it, gyms play music. I don't know a gym that doesn't play music out loud. And yes, we can wear headphones and we can wear our own music, but let's think if you're going for the first time, you've never been before, you've had to navigate how to get in, you've maybe had to speak to somebody and you weren't expecting to have to speak to somebody. You're not expecting to have to speak to somebody. then you're in there and there's this music and it's loud. So I personally really dislike horns, like jazz and stuff. With those horns, it does something to me. I really dislike it. And not saying that gyms usually play jazz, but if it did, that would be quite overwhelming for me. So you have that going on. You might have beeping. So cardio machines in particular, when you're changing the speed on a treadmill, it beeps every time you press the button, it beeps. Then if you have somebody running on a treadmill or rowing, you've got the noise of the actual equipment or the noise of their footsteps. Then you might have someone doing some Olympic lists and dropping a barbell with plates on, and it's going to bang on the floor. These all happening at the same time can be traumatic. Traumatizing can lead to a meltdown or overwhelm or shut down. Kind of insert whatever coping strategy or not coping, it's like the opposite. Whatever happens to you in there. That's like worst case scenario, I think. I don't think it could be worse than that. But the fear of not knowing how you will respond in a new environment is enough to stop you going into that new environment. have you got that going on, but then you've also got this innate fear of being judged for not knowing, being judged for how you look like or how you look because maybe you're not the slimmest. Maybe you don't have any muscle. Maybe you're really skinny and actually you want to build your body, but you don't fit that stereotypical mold of someone who goes to the gym. So you're dealing with that fear of the odd one out. For a lot of us, we've always been the odd one out. Then it's like, "Well, why would I want to put myself in an environment intentionally where I will be the odd one out again?" The answer is because in the gym is where you can truly find yourself physically and mentally. As we go through future podcast episodes, you will hear of how my mental health journey massively improved because I was able to go through and get started on this journey. But I think breaking down the reasons behind gym anxiety will help you be able to manage it to put things in place because you don't need to be neurodivergent to struggle with your senses. But what you need to do you acknowledge that you will struggle then you can start to look at what you need to do enable you to go into that environment and safeguard your senses. I think that's why this is really important is because need to have easy access to these sort of coping strategies in order to enable us to go into a gym, which will enable us to prioritize our health and enable us to get fitter. Now you don't have to go to a gym to get fitter. I actually did about three months of home workouts with a set of dumbbells and a yoga mat that my house rabbits had eaten because I was too afraid to go to the gym because I didn't know how to even hold a dumbbell. And in my head, I was like well I don't want to be somebody that doesn't even know how to hold a dumbbell. I don't belong in a gym for don't know how to hold a weight. What if I can't hold it? And all of these what ifs I bought a set of dumbbells and I practiced at home with YouTube videos doing like bicep curls and like shoulder press with these dumbbells. I could have just gone to the gym but I didn't because I couldn't. So what was the coping strategy I put in place in order to enable me to go to the gym? And for me, it was the noise cancelling head of homes, getting dumbbells for home, working out what movements I could do, deep diving on loads of influences and saving their little videos on Instagram or TikTok wherever it was at the time to prepare myself as much as possible. So looking at the video guide so that I knew what to do. All of these little things helped me a lot and it was still stressful but they enabled me to actually do it and to go and start my fitness journey and that is the most important thing. you've identified some things that you can do or put in place to help mitigate the risk of sensory overwhelm, then you can look at the bigger picture stuff which could be like I've mentioned how to use equipment. So it was very easy for me to go onto Amazon and buy a set of dumbbells but it's not easy for me to go onto Amazon and buy a leg press because they're heavy, they're expensive and like I don't have space for that in my house. I would love to have a home gym not there yet. there is also this element of not knowing what to do element of not knowing what to do but what about when you're actually on a machine let's let's use leg press or what weight to use and how many leg presses do you do you've got your reps which is a single movement and then you have a set which is a block like a group of movements. So say you are going to do 10 reps but then how many sets would you do so how many times would you then do 10 do you have a break and some people will say take a minute break some people say a minute and a half but what starting weight do you use and how do you know and how do I know if I'm sitting right and there's all these factors that sort of come into play when you are with your senses and you've got your noise cancelling headphones on you don't necessarily want to have to ask someone for help because that would require you to remove your headphones you don't want to do that because that might be the thing that triggers you and it's really difficult to combat that so what I advise if you are struggling can research in advance what you're going to do you can get various apps that will help you schedule a workout will help you with your form so that's the way in which you do a movement lot of them will have video video or instructional videos on how to perform the movement and you can watch those as you're going knowing in advance that you might need those then it's what if you get there and you want to use the leg press but someone's on the leg press then you need to be able to work out or what are you going to do instead of or where do you go now or can you mix and match the order of the workout that you're planning to do is where it comes into I believe to somebody at the gym in advance maybe going on that induction finding that friendly face so that maybe you can ask them also think there's a big thing here of letting people know that you might struggle in loud situations you might be best to communicate by writing or by text or something because that is actually okay but the main thing is is that you actually tell somebody that that's how you need to communicate actually went to an event today and I was talking to the hidden disability sunflower group I don't know what they're called like organization the lady I was speaking to she had a wristband on I love my sunflower lanyard I wear it quite a lot but I can't wear it in the gym because it's health and safety like I really don't want to be choked by it getting stuck in a machine or similar I could wear a wristband there are things that we can do put in place to a let other people know that we aren't neurotypical or we might not communicate in a way they expect but b it reminds us that it's okay to struggle and it's okay to need to ask for help a really important thing to remember it's normal it's very common but it is it is okay to need a bit of extra support or it is okay to feel anxious just knowing that can be quite useful biggest thing I would advise if you are feeling really nervous is to with someone the first few times and if you don't have someone to go with book a pt session I have a session coming up with somebody who is anxious most of my clients are haven't yet had a client that isn't anxious to put it into perspective and I'm going to meet this client outside of the gym and we're going to go in together through the door through the barriers I've already provided a list of everything we're going to do it's the first initial consultation going on a tour of the gym first and I've given like a list of where we're going to go because knowledge is power if my client can sit in the car feeling nervous and reread through the information I provided about what we're going to do I think that'll make a huge difference because it makes a huge difference for me I've already reached out tonight to make sure that everything is okay I asked for any last minute questions and there were two and I've answered them they're not big scary questions these are very easy for me to answer questions that will make someone's experience better think any good personal trainer be more than happy to meet you outside and to give you a rundown of what to expect least I hope so because very important and hope I'm not the only one doing things like this because if I am that is needs to change but if you are really struggling with anxiety what I'm trying to say is book an induction or a single PT session or just a meet and greet with a personal trainer because they can help you get through that initial threshold and hopefully set you up for success as well remember that every time you go into the gym it does get slightly easier it might not be easy for quite a long time remember that comfort zone thing and every time you flex it and it feels uncomfortable that is actually how you grow your comfort zone myself I went from anxious to the point of almost fainting or passing out originally so now being a qualified personal trainer I started my new job last week in a gym so I swapped where my gym base is I felt just as anxious actually even though I was going to work there doesn't go away but it's having the knowledge and power to tell yourself that you will be okay just need to I hate saying this but in a way you need to crack on with it because it's always going to be hard there's not a world in which can do this where it's not going to be difficult all these steps in place so it's not as difficult as it feels or if it is at least you have some idea of the things that you can do to make it easier this has been a really waffly one today I'm I didn't I wanted to record earlier then I got distracted watching Below Deck which is I love so there's a new series on Netflix and I got distracted watching that I had a long day out at this accessibility conference and I don't want to be recording and publishing on the same day so I needed to do it today because lo and behold tomorrow is Friday and that is my published day so I have left it late considering it is quarter past 11 so it probably will still take me to after midnight to get it edited and scheduled the thing is when it's something you want to do you make allowances and you do put yourself in uncomfortable positions and I think that that should also be the case when it comes to starting a fitness journey it's not easy but it is worth it just put things in place to help yourself navigate that a little bit easier that the gym is there for you is a place for you to your health hardest part is going set yourself up for success now if you have just started a fitness journey or even if you are an experienced gym goer what have you had to put in place mitigate the anxiety me know because I am creating a resource toolkit and it'd be really good to hear other people's experiences because we're all different so what works for me might not necessarily work for you and what works for you might not necessarily work for me or them over there the key is is this understanding that we do need things enable us to do the stuff the hard stuff like going to the gym so please share your best coping strategies for going somewhere new like a gym week you are contemplating joining a gym and think of one thing that you could do that might help take you one step to starting maybe it is having a look at some video walkthrough guides maybe it is just reaching out finding out about an induction process just try one thing that does move you closer to your starting point if all else fails just send me a message and I'll do everything I can to any questions you have about starting a fitness journey you have them I've probably had them and many other people do as well I have got a free neurodivergent fitness support group on Facebook so look out for that the link will be in the description below I hope that you found this somewhat useful you are ready to get going remember to book an induction and listen to last week's episode to find out more about that and remember that every little step forward or every small win is worth celebrating if you go to the gym this week and you walk in the front door and you walk out and you can't handle it actually you still went which may be progress on the week before so then this next week try going in and going a bit further through on a treadmill for five minutes just see if there's something you can do that is progression of where you're at and you got this definitely got this and I know it is hard because I have most definitely been there I'm still there maybe there's some comfort in that cannot be the only personal trainer that also has gym anxiety so I am so I hope this was useful this is episode four we're a month in of the not so typical fitness podcast with me Rhiannon Cooper my story is one of late diagnosis of autism and ADHD got anxiety and depression and it's been very hard to work out how best to prioritize my own health I now want to share my knowledge with everyone else because I think fitness should be accessible and I think that we can improve accessibility by having video guides of how to swipe in and out of the gym then every gym should do it in my opinion I hope you agree with have a fantastic day going to smash it out the park and listen next week for episode number five