Swim class was a gym requirement when I was in high school in the 90s. We all dreaded wearing the required '50s style swimsuits — which were worn out, see-through, and worse, color-coded by size. They offered a commentary on our bodies at a time when we were already feeling self-critical.
As students, we had no choice but to endure the school-sanctioned humiliation. But even most adults have little interest in revisiting the anxieties associated with group or public exercise. A 2022 Center for Disease Control and Prevention study found that less than a quarter of American adults meet aerobic and muscle-training guidelines.
Social scientists have called anxiety about public exercise a "real fear." Researchers are learning more about exercise anxiety and the barriers that stop people from feeling the burn.
