Is going to a gym a simple answer for self esteem issues?

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I seem to feel as for a man, if you are struggling with self esteem issues, anxiety and so on, I seem to feel like the only suggestion or recommendation to make by some people is to get down to a gym or something like that. But I mean what if you have never been to one and don't even like going to those places because they are not for you or they don't make you feel comfortable. I feels as though it is the ''only way'' for men to get their lives back on track and it seems that way on social media like I'll hear about someone struggling with mental health, low self-confidence etc and then see a picture of them at the gym. Why not just seek out a professional or someone who makes you feel good for what you are and that if someone feels self conscious about their looks, make them feel good about them rather than always working out or get plastic surgery.

I don't think it's a bad suggestion for someone with mental health or self-esteem issues.

One of the most dispiriting things for humans is the idea that we don't have agency. Going to a gym regularly refutes that notion. You get exercise which is one of the best ways to lift mood, if you can muster the will to do it. If your self-esteem issues are rooted in your physical appearance then you learn that you do have the power to alter your physical appearance, if you choose. In a vaguer sense you will learn that a small regular effort will lead to tangible changes and that's something you can apply to other areas of life.

A sense of power over your own situation is an incredibly valuable thing to have.

Of course you don't need to go to a gym, you can walk or run or do whatever. I personally would never go to a gym. But I can see the appeal of going to a single-purpose location where everyone is working out to help keep you focussed on what you're meant to be doing.

I've got a lot of time for mental health therapies, I've used them myself, but I don't think they can be the entire answer because they are ultimately passive. If you fall back on that every time, I think you'll come to see yourself as someone who needs external help. Maybe that's true, but I'm not sure it does much good to think that way about yourself.

I also agree that acceptance of yourself is important, but again it comes with dangers. If you become practiced at accepting things you don't like about yourself, how long before you start accepting things that you could change, and that would have a positive effect if you did change?

I think if you want resilient humans then the best thing is to help them learn about their own power to effect change in themselves and a gym can be a way to learn that about yourself.

The sedentary modern lifestyle is a huge reason that so many are depressed today. Whether autistic or not if humans can full exert themselves in a physical way as best they can, the body will reward their minds afterward.

Exercise is more effective than pharmaceuticals at treating depression.

No one who ever got fitter and healthier felt worse for doing so.

Going to a gym is not a requirement to get fit. Even prisoners workout in an 8x8 jail cell. Simple exercises can be done almost anywhere indoors or out. Pushups, crunches, squats, stretches, running etc. No one is REQUIRED to pay for & use a professional gym in order to get exercise and be fitter & feel better.

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