Hi. I am new to the forum and have recently been told I have PCOS. Which can be managed by being healthy, excercise, eating right. So, I got a membership at a gym. Problem, I have this fear I'm going to pass out at the gym. Just had my first workout/fitness assessment and was okay. I just have a bad case of the "what ifs" for future work outs. I'm definitely overweight, so i need/want this. Just my anxiety gets me in trouble...a lot.
Anyone have advice?
Junior Member
Yes I used to get the fear of passing out at the gym! It wasn't a massive issue for me tbh, but I would never work out in the mornings as I found it made me feel more tired/dizzy/etc. so I sticked to workouts in the afternoon and I also made sure I would have a proper meal before going to the gym - obviously a while before (definitely at least an hour or more) but that I didn't go to the gym on an empty stomach. I did find that to make a massive difference for me. Altho my issue was mainly due to low blood sugar and I'm very small so I get affected by stuff like that fast, but also because I was very unfit. So that's what helped me. And make sure you always have a big bottle of water with you, and if you ever feel unwell during your workout you can always stop and go sit down for a couple of minutes and drink some water, I always took the longest breaks between exercises, there's nothing weird about that
Senior Member
What makes you think you'll pass out at the gym?
You have to really, really push yourself for that to happen, and it's most common amongst people who lift heavy weights and strain too much.
I know, because I used to do a bit of that myself and passed out a couple of times pushing too hard, but I mean WAY too hard. It's caused by anaerobic exercise and not enough oxygen getting to the brain.
Under normal circumstances, it's not going to happen.
Honestly, no idea. I've never passed out in my life. It's an irrational fear, I know.
Removed User
I wouldn't worry to much about passing out, you'll probably find that the fittest people are more likely to experience passing out, because they are the ones that will often push themselves beyond what is healthy.
I've always been a bit of an exercise addict and I've had a few black outs, but it's always been after I've left the gym. I once passed out in a hotel restaurant after running a marathon, that was about an hour afterwards.
Maybe try getting a little bit fit before going to the gym. Try doing some light cardio stuff like fast walking or cycling. That way you build your confidence up a bit.
Junior Member
Go to the gym, have a word with the fitness instructors there, tell them how you feel (they will have heard it all before) get them to give you a workout program and a nutrition program.
Stick to it, if you feel tired rest longer, find out when your body prefers to workout, is it in the am or pm.
If you intend to use a personal trainer, you are in charge. If its too much tell them.
Yes, heavy weight training can bring on nausea and fainting, as can high aerobic workouts, but you are not going to do that. For fitness and weight loss, you will be doing low/medium intensity of 40 - 60 min duration aerobic exercise and some light weight training just to keep the muscles activated.
Junior Member
BikeRider's advice is really great here. Another thing you could try is to build up your gym sessions from very little - that way you'll gradually gain confidence that you won't faint!
Junior Member
Hello there!Originally Posted by Kms1083
I am happy that you're looking to engage in healthier behavior overall to help better your mind and body. Going to a the gym can be difficult for people with anxiety and other mental health ailments. But fret not, because there is some stuff to keep in mind and other things that you can do at home.
First of all, I want to say that I run a blog called The Anxiety Press (www.anxietypress.com) that is about fitness and is geared towards people with anxiety and such. If you'd like, take a look and subscribe.
Second of all, despite what many think, people at the gym don't really judge consciously. Most people are there just doing their own thing. Anyone that judges someone in a negative manner for going to the gym for any reason is someone you shouldn't care of the opinion of. Everyone has to start somewhere. Do you think Arnold himself magically was in such shape? NO! At an early age he was quite skinny, actually.
Third, if you are sincerely too anxious to go to the gym (which I'd advise at least trying to go), you CAN do stuff from the comfort of your own home that is free or quite cheap. I talk about it in my blog in a bunch of my posts thus far, but you can do calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), follow a DVD program (like Insanity), go running around the block, use cheap equipment (like resistance tubing), etc. Just because someone doesn't go to the gym doesn't mean that they are out of options.
Best of luck
For me it is very usual. New gym and scare. Nothing helps. I just train.
I used to get this too. The great part about working out is it releases endorphins which naturally make you feel "high" and relaxed. My advice is to push through the fear and really get into your workout - get your heartbeat up, really exert yourself and pretty quickly you'll find much of your nervous energy is gone and you already feel better :-)
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