A letter for the Gym Rats out there…

Dear Gym Rats, Fitness Enthusiasts, and those who have established a solid gym routine:

This letter is to you.

First of all, I was one of you for a long time….and I suppose technically I still am. As a certified health and fitness professional for over nine years, I can say that I truly love my time in the gym, I love having a set routine, I thrive best with a routine, and I struggle when that is compromised. This is the time of year where gyms are crowded, where many people are lingering around equipment and maybe don’t know how to use it, and classes we typically like to attend are too full for us to reserve a spot. For many people, this disrupts a routine that we worked hard to establish throughout the year. I want to remind you of something though, and it is something that I experienced first hand before I took control of my health or even started my career in the health and fitness industry: kindness is everything.

I want to take you back to 2013, which was the year I was desperately trying to regain control of my health. I was 70+ pounds overweight, battling alcoholism, and ate McDonalds like it was going out of style. I tried many times to start a routine, and every time I did try I was terrified. My weight gain and low self esteem made me feel like I just couldn’t do it. Yet somehow, a tiny little voice inside my head would occasionally help me get the courage to go to a gym or try a workout.

I tried going to your basic gyms, the ones where everyone can do their own thing…where there was plenty of cardio equipment…indoor tracks, swimming pools, etc. I was calling fat at those gyms more than once. I loved to lift weights, but when I would enter the areas where the heavier weights were I had guys take over the equipment I was about to use and tell me I was “lost” or to go to another area with lighter weights. I tried taking group fitness classes, but I felt like the instructor did not care that I was there, did not care that I was struggling, and I felt ignored and worthless. Every time I tried something new, I left in tears and feeling defeated. I hated how people in the gym….including industry professionals… made me feel.

My solution ended up being a home workout program, which allowed me to try to get in shape in the comfort of my own home without any ridicule or rude behavior. I was thankful for that option, and even that I failed at first. One of the first programs I tried I failed the 15 minutes fit test, which was simply to set the bar for the actual workout program. Once again, I gave up, and it would be months before I would try again. The good news though….that time it stuck, and I lost those 70 pounds by the end of 2013, as well as started a sober lifestyle. It was a tough and challenging journey, but I am proud of it. The picture above is my first ever transformation picture taken back in 2013.

After I regained control of my health, I returned to gym workouts. I wanted to lift heavy, I wanted to challenge myself, so I did. I was confident in who I was and my presence in the gym, which was a far cry from the girl earlier in the year who left in tears regularly. I loved being in the gym, and I felt so strong being there every single time. For a brief time I forgot about that girl….the girl in 2013 who just wanted to feel included and welcomed in an environment that I desperately needed to be in. I realized how frustrated I was getting with all of the “resolutioners” who were crowding my gym after New Year’s. I complained, I wrote nasty Facebook statuses about it, and I was just an asshole. I’m not even sure why. At that time I also was working hard on personal development and growth, and I quickly realized how negative this behavior and thought process was. Why am I cutting these people down? Why am I acting like my time on the Smith machine is more important than someone else’s? Why am I complaining about a busy space? Why am I not remembering how tough it may have been for these people to make the decision to show up to the gym today?

I got to experience both sides of the coin here. One side: the broken, unmotivated individual whose health was in decline and needed help. The other side: the professional who had taken control of her life, had become self disciplined, who felt comfortable in the gym, and wanted to impact others positively. The sad truth is that many people won’t get to experience both. Those who come to the gym broken or unmotivated often leave feeling the same defeat I felt, and because of that many give up and just accept life (and their health) as it is.

This letter is to you, my fellow gym lovers, and it is really more of a plea.

We are two weeks into the new year, and some people have started working toward a new health and fitness goal. Others are about to start. There are some thinking about it but are still a little afraid, so they are taking their time getting ready to look into options. Yes, your gym or classes may be crowded. Yes, it may suck a little to have to wait a little longer for the leg press machine. Take a minute and go back to your day one. We ALL have had one. We ALL had to start somewhere. We ALL once were a little afraid or intimidated by the gym atmosphere and/or the people in it.

While there will always be a little fear with a new endeavor, I ask you to please do your part to be a supportive individual and to give those in your life or the complete strangers in the gym encouragement. If a friend shares they want to try a workout program or go to a group fitness class, offer to go with them or try it out together. If not, just cheer them on….let them know you are proud of them and cheering them on in this journey. If you see someone new in the gym that looks confused, introduce yourself….make them feel welcome. Show them around! If you see a new face in your group fitness class, give them a high five and welcome them! This may seem like such a small detail, but to those who are struggling to get started, these little things can make all the difference. I know to me they would’ve when I was starting out.

Always be part of the solution, not the problem. Your goals in 2023 may include running a faster mile or lifting heavier, but add being an encouraging positive influence in the lives of others to that list. The world can use all the positivity and kindness it can get.

And to those of you reading this who are just starting out….who know about that feeling of defeat or lack of motivation….I am always here to root you on and help. Don’t give up….you’ve got this.