One of the biggest barriers to starting (or maintaining) an exercise program has to do with something I call fitness resistance—the reluctance to welcome fitness into our lives in the form of a sustainable workout routine or program.

In my experience as a personal trainer, I’ve discovered people seem to fall into three general camps when it comes to fitness: the resisters who don’t regularly engage, the honeymooners (the on-and-off exercisers who go all in for a short amount of time), and the consistent exercisers. While our society tends to uphold people that do health and fitness “well,” I just want to emphasize that none of these groups is inherently better than the other. Everyone is doing their best.

But I also know that engaging in regular exercise brings so many benefits—everything from improvements in self-esteem and energy to just feeling better in general—which is why I want to help people work to overcome their fitness resistance.

Through engaging in hundreds of conversations with my clients, I’ve noticed there’s one common thread behind fitness resistance, especially for people who never or rarely engage with fitness: fear. Usually, it’s fear of failure, judgment, or pain. And, of course, a person’s fitness resistance can involve more than one of these fears (or even all of them).

If this is something that you notice about yourself, I challenge you to examine these three potential fears too: What’s behind your resistance, and what’s it telling you? Here’s more information about what’s often at the root of these specific fitness fears, along with some tips I’ve learned that can help combat them to help build a sustainable workout routine. 

A fear of fitness failure

Fear of failure can often come from past fitness experiences that didn’t work out the way you hoped. Often, this isn’t your fault; it’s often more about the wrong environment, the wrong approach, or the wrong activity. For example, attending a gym or program where the prescribed fitness started well over your initial ability, or an environment that was too intimidating or uncomfortable—think surrounded by high-performance athletes when you’re a beginner.

Fear of failure can also come from our cultural understanding of who is even “allowed” to be fit. Much of the fitness imagery and messaging we see doesn’t show a range of ages, body sizes, or body abilities performing fitness successfully. Combine that with past fitness experiences that weren’t the most positive, and this can often make you feel like you can’t measure up.

With all of that said, there are some steps you can take to combat this fear of failure and allow yourself to discover what fitness has to offer.

Whether it’s weight lifting, kickboxing, yoga, or dance, finding exercise that we want to do can really influence how we think about it. When we defer to movement we don’t enjoy, our subconscious mind starts resisting before we even know it. But we file away joyful movement as a positive experience, and we want to revisit it time and time again. We no longer see this movement as a chore, and can allow ourselves to develop mastery over it.

If you had a poor past fitness experience due to the environment, seeking out a more inclusive space can be helpful (whether we’re talking in person or virtual). If you’re thinking of working with a trainer or a specific gym, ask questions beforehand to make sure your health vision is on point with the facility and trainer. Some of these may include: How do you modify programs? Have you worked with people with XYZ before? How have you helped people overcome XYZ barrier? Trainers who work primarily with advanced exercisers, like athletes, powerlifters, or physique competitors, can be intimidating for those just getting started. So you may also want to ask about their fitness speciality, or who their ideal kind of client is. There will be trainers who specialize in functional fitness for everyday people who absolutely love getting people into active living.

If you’re taking a class with difficult progressions of moves, it’s easy to feel down on yourself if you can’t keep up. Embrace exercise modifications—and don’t be afraid to ask the instructor to provide them if they’re not doing so on their own. Master moves and build good form and strength before advancing to build that confidence.

A fear of judgment

The space where you exercise, especially if it’s a public one, can also play a big role in this fear—the environment, training style of the facility, and its overall goal can affect whether you feel judgment or not. This is often tied to fear of failure, so those tips apply, too, but here are some other ways you can help combat it.

If you’re new to exercise, working out at home by yourself can help you master the moves and familiarize yourself with the process without feeling like all eyes are on you. For instance, one of my clients built a base with me online, and then felt confident enough to join a gym—and walk right into the weight pit with all the regulars.

This circles back to the importance of finding an inclusive space. Even if you’re not ready for an in-person, indoor gym yet, a welcoming space is still important, whether we’re talking about an outdoor fitness class or a virtual one. Supportive instructors or other class participants can help you feel ownership in that space, which can cut down on the fear of being judged for trying to take part in it.