I get anxious about going to the gym. Where do I start?

Start with a one-on-one movement assessment at a quiet time. You meet one coach, in a calm room, with no audience. Almost every member here did some version of that first, and the anxiety about the room usually disappears within three or four visits.

Exercise and Anxiety: What Actually Helps

Exercise and Anxiety: What Actually Helps from CrossFit BC. How movement changes anxiety physiology, which types of training help most, and how to start when anxiety is the thing keeping you out of the gym.

Written by:: Dai Manuel
Section:: Health & Lifestyle
Reading time:: 7 min
Topics:: anxiety, mental health, exercise, stress, Vancouver
Published:: Friday, August 14, 2026
Last updated:: Friday, August 14, 2026

The Link Between Exercise and Anxiety: What Actually Helps

This article is part of the CrossFit BC journal, written by the coaching staff who run our classes in Olympic Village, Vancouver. We publish what we teach on the floor: training decisions, recovery, nutrition, and the honest tradeoffs behind them.

Common questions

How much exercise helps with anxiety?

Benefits show up at surprisingly modest doses. Most of the research points to regular moderate activity, in the region of 150 minutes a week, with resistance training adding further benefit. Three sessions a week plus daily walking covers it for most people.

Can exercise make anxiety worse?

It can feel that way at first, because elevated heart rate and breathing resemble anxiety symptoms. For most people that fades with exposure and is part of the benefit, as your system relearns that those sensations are safe. If panic symptoms are severe, start with walking and lower-intensity work and speak to a professional.

What kind of training is best for anxiety?

The kind you will repeat. That said, resistance training and moderate aerobic work both have strong evidence, and structured group sessions add a social benefit that solo training does not. Rhythmic, repetitive work like rowing, running, or cycling is particularly settling for many people.