Gen Z Are Quitting the Gym for Fear of Being Recorded

Going to the gym used to mean sweating in peace. Now it means hoping no one’s filming you mid-squat for TikTok. Between ring lights, unsolicited advice, and a culture of constant judgment, working out has quietly morphed into a performance—and people are burning out before they even hit the treadmill.

A recent survey from Levity found that 4 in 5 Gen Z gym-goers have felt anxious or uncomfortable while working out. Women report it even more: 85 percent say the gym makes them feel uneasy. And it’s not just paranoia. One in 10 people admit to secretly recording someone else at the gym. You read that right—10 percent of people are literally filming strangers in a space where the whole point is to focus inward.

It’s messing with people’s routines. One in three gym-goers has considered quitting or switching gyms because of harassment, unwanted attention, or social pressure. Nineteen percent of Gen Z have already walked away entirely because of the fear of being recorded.

Gymxiety Is Real—and People Are Skipping Workouts Because of It

The pressure to “look good” while working out isn’t new, but now it’s attached to ring lights, influencers, and fitness content that tells you your outfit is wrong, your form is wrong, and your workout isn’t even worth doing unless it’s hot enough to go viral. Thirty-seven percent of people say TikTok and Instagram content has made them too discouraged to go to the gym. That jumps to 44 percent for women.

Even people who do show up are adapting in ways that speak volumes. Half of gym-goers say they’ve changed how they dress to avoid attention. Others are skipping workouts altogether if they don’t feel “camera-ready.” And nearly 1 in 5 have been approached or harassed outright while trying to focus on themselves.

Fitness is supposed to be about movement, not performance. But with judgment lurking behind every mirror and the threat of becoming someone’s punchline online, it’s not surprising that so many people are rethinking public workouts. Some are seeking out gyms with no-camera policies. Others are turning to smaller fitness communities where respect is part of the vibe—not just the branding.

Gymxiety isn’t insecurity—it’s exhaustion. From being watched. From being sized up. From wondering if your deadlift will end up on someone’s feed. People aren’t skipping the gym because they’re lazy. They’re skipping it because it stopped feeling like a safe space to work on themselves.