The fear of being judged when you walk into a gym is real, from worrying about how you look to physical conditions that may impede your workout to your workout form. Many of us experience gym anxiety.

You can take your workout outside or do it in your home, but the shy girl workouts appearing on TikTok could be an option for you if you suffer from anxiety. Shy girl workouts suggest ways to exercise even if you feel self-conscious at the gym.  Suggestions include exercises that don’t require machines and free weight exercises that allow you to find a more private corner of the gym.

According to the article, 50% of Americans find that working out in front of others is nerve-wracking, and the post-pandemic anxiety surrounding gyms does not help the issue.  For many, it’s been months or years since they’ve last set foot in a gym.  And that’s not all.  According to Sydney Tenney, a primary therapist with Lightfully Behavioral Health, “Additionally, we live in a culture that places high value [on] how bodies look, so it isn’t surprising that gym anxiety is prevalent.”

For some people, shy girl workouts may be as simple as finding a treadmill in the back row, against the wall. One key, though, is making sure that shy girl workouts are a method of coping and not a method of avoiding your anxiety.