I don’t necessarily like working out but I recognize that it’s something I just kind of have to do. A few years ago I found a sport that I quite like which makes things a little easier, but it’s a winter sport so I basically don’t work out in the summers. It’s also only about 2 times a week, so I’m not seeing much improvement. I’d like to get better, but can’t for the life of me find a way of doing so because of my anxiety disorder. When running and doing outdoor workouts I can get through the first five minutes, but then I just kind of crumble when I see people. I obviously know nobody’s looking and that nobody cares, but it’s like my body just thinks there are a 1,000 eyes on me for the rest of the workout and my heart starts racing. It’s effectively killing any motivation and joy and I find myself dreading to come back to these activities.

My boyfriend suggested working out together at the gym and offered to help me at my own pace to kind of keep the workout safe and familiar, but several tries later we scrapped the idea because I get completely paralyzed with fear. I obviously know I’m in no danger, but logical reasoning just does not work. I found going to some classes just tolerable, but I’d spend so much energy stressing over it that I’d come home from a 40 minute class on a Saturday morning and not be able to do anything else for the entire day, which wasn’t working long term. I can’t work out much at home either as I have very little space to spare. I feel like I’m out of options.

I’m actively doing everything in my power to battle my anxiety and I obviously want to keep up exercising as exercising in itself actually does make me feel better. Does anybody have the same experience or advice on how to tackle this?