Overcoming Gym Anxiety: 4 Steps to Build Confidence and Get Started

04/22/25 • 26 min

Got a question or feedback? Send me a text!

Does the thought of walking into a gym stress you out? You’re not alone—and today’s episode of HealthSpan Digest is your guide to overcoming gym anxiety and getting started with resistance training the right way.

Whether you’re brand new to fitness, returning after a long break, or just feel out of place in the gym environment, Aaron Shaw—Healthspan coach, occupational therapist, and strength & conditioning specialist—breaks down 4 simple and practical tips to help you move past fear and into action.

You’ll learn:

Why resistance training is essential for healthspan and longevity
How to start small and build momentum
How to mentally reframe your gym experience
What exercises are best for beginners (including a sample 20-minute plan you can use today)
Why having a plan removes anxiety and boosts confidence

This episode is your no-BS, judgment-free blueprint for getting in the door, building consistency, and feeling proud of your progress—no matter where you’re starting from.

🎧 BONUS: Aaron shares a ready-to-use workout you can bring to the gym today!

Resources Mentioned:

💪 FREE 3-Week HealthSpan Foundations Program

📲 Affordable 8-Week Training Plan – Beginner to Intermediate

📩 Have a question or topic idea? Reach out via LinkedIn or YouTube – Aaron responds to every message.

FREE Coaching Plans at Healthspan Pillars!
LinkedIn
FaceBook
Healthspan YouTube Channel

Got a question or feedback? Send me a text!

You’ll learn:

Why resistance training is essential for healthspan and longevity
How to start small and build momentum
How to mentally reframe your gym experience
What exercises are best for beginners (including a sample 20-minute plan you can use today)
Why having a plan removes anxiety and boosts confidence

This episode is your no-BS, judgment-free blueprint for getting in the door, building consistency, and feeling proud of your progress—no matter where you’re starting from.

🎧 BONUS: Aaron shares a ready-to-use workout you can bring to the gym today!

Resources Mentioned:

💪 FREE 3-Week HealthSpan Foundations Program

📲 Affordable 8-Week Training Plan – Beginner to Intermediate

📩 Have a question or topic idea? Reach out via LinkedIn or YouTube – Aaron responds to every message.

FREE Coaching Plans at Healthspan Pillars!
LinkedIn
FaceBook
Healthspan YouTube Channel

Previous Episode

Crohn’s, Comebacks, and the Grit of Middle-Aged Fitness: Back in the Saddle with Evan St. Clair

Got a question or feedback? Send me a text!

What happens when life throws you off the bike—literally and figuratively? In this powerful episode of Healthspan Digest, I sit down with Evan St. Clair: lifelong cyclist, business owner, and local legend, as he shares his journey through Crohn’s disease, injuries, family challenges, and the road back to fitness in his 50s.

We talk about:

🚵 Overcoming chronic illness through movement

💥 What breaking your back teaches you about resilience

🥗 Nutrition truths: sugar addiction, meal prep, and why fast food is sabotaging your health

🧠 Mental health, motivation, and how cycling became Evan’s moving meditation

🧬 Bone density, VO2 max, and the science of longevity

Whether you’re rebuilding from a setback or just looking for real, gritty inspiration to take charge of your healthspan, this episode delivers.

🔗 Follow Evan: Cycle Path Bike Shop – https://www.thecyclepath.net/

📲 Learn more about the Healthspan Foundations Program: HERE

FREE Coaching Plans at Healthspan Pillars!
LinkedIn
FaceBook
Healthspan YouTube Channel

Next Episode

Take Control Before It’s Too Late

Got a question or feedback? Send me a text!

If you’re in your 40s, 50s, or beyond and coasting with your health, it’s time for a wake-up call. Most of the health issues we face later in life—chronic pain, disease, low energy—are preventable. But only if you stop outsourcing your health and start acting like the CEO of your life.

In this short, no-nonsense episode, Aaron Shaw, OTR/L, CHT, CSCS, cuts through the noise with two powerful concepts and four real-world action items you can start today to extend your healthspan. This is your personal pep talk to stop playing defense and start building a body and life that lasts.

You’ll learn:

Why most chronic conditions respond better to behavior than pills
The real cost of waiting for symptoms to act
How to do a quick health audit (and what to schedule this week)
The “Minimum Daily Dose” method for building unstoppable habits
How to identify your top 3 health habits and get real accountability

No fluff. No fads. Just action. Play offense—your future self is depending on it.

🎯 Start with one thing today. Then message Aaron your goal at healthspanpillars.com

📩 Want support? He’ll personally reply—no sales pitch, just real support.

FREE Coaching Plans at Healthspan Pillars!
LinkedIn
FaceBook
Healthspan YouTube Channel

Healthspan Digest - Overcoming Gym Anxiety: 4 Steps to Build Confidence and Get Started

Transcript

Today, I'm gonna help you overcome gym anxiety. So many people have stress and anxiety related to going to the gym and getting a workout in, specifically doing resistance training. Resistance training that have the benefits that include building bone density, building lean muscle, burning fat, improving cognitive performance, decreasing your risk of cancers, decreasing your risk of Alzheimer's and dementia.

The list goes on and on and on controlling blood sugar. There's so many benefits