Man's Reaction to Girlfriend's Gym Anxiety Melts Hearts—'He's a Keeper'

A man has been praised for helping his girlfriend feel at ease during a gym session on TikTok.

The footage shows multiple interactions between Lily and her boyfriend, who noticed she was feeling anxious in the gym. Racking up more than 1.2 million views, the man can be seen giving Lily a pep talk, kissing her hand and eventually making her laugh again.

The heartwarming video shared to @lilylifts_ has amassed almost 110,000 likes and has even reduced some users to tears. "Why I'm I tearing up? That's so nice," read one comment.

Feeling anxious at the gym isn't uncommon. In 2022, My Protein, an online sports nutrition brand, surveyed over 3,000 people from across the U.S. and found the fear of being judged was mostly common among Gen Z (38 percent). While 30 percent of gym-goers experience performance-based anxiety at the gym, 42 percent said they have appearance-based anxiety when working out.

It is unclear why Lily felt anxious during her session, but "gymtimidation," an anxiety that a person feels either going to or working out in a gym, affects people across the country. The survey also revealed Georgians experience the least gymtimidation, 23 percent below the national average of 1.82; while Oregonians experience the most, 22 percent above the national average.

Interestingly, California, neighboring Oregon to the south, is the second least-affected state, highlighting a notable difference in gym anxiety between the regions despite their proximity.

Fortunately, Lily has her very own hype man who can cheer her up on days like in the video.

Research shows that the saying 'a couple that sweats together stays together' is not just a cliché—it's true. In 2021, a group of health researchers from the Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, examined how exercising with a romantic partner may influence the experience of exercise itself, as well as people's daily experiences. The researchers asked 95 young adults in relationships to complete a questionnaire and 14 daily reports on their exercise habits, emotions, and relationship satisfaction.

The results found that, on days when participants exercised with their partner, they experienced higher positive emotions during exercise and throughout the day, and greater relationship satisfaction compared to days when they exercised alone.

There were no significant effects on negative emotions or exercise duration. This study suggests that exercising with a romantic partner can improve the overall exercise experience and daily well-being, potentially helping individuals maintain their routines.

Indeed, the boyfriend's behavior hasn't gone unnoticed, and more than 140 users have commented on the clip.

"He's a keeper, Lils. You're gonna be ok - chin up and keep fighting!," wrote one user, while another agreed: "We love a supportive partner."

"Ah I love this, a man's love is attentive & observant," posted a third commenter.

Newsweek reached out to @lily.lifts for comment via social media and email. We could not verify the details of the case.

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