There’s no shortage of fitness advice.
Generally, we know that exercise is good for us. Doctors ask us about our physical activities in yearly checkups. Social media is riddled with influencers promoting the “best” workout routine and athletic clothing brand. Brands advertise supplements, protein concoctions, and weight-loss regimens to us all the time. From a young age, our fitness is assessed in schools, as we run red-faced laps across the gym floor for the dreaded PACER test.
When I was younger, I was always immersed in sports. I was never the most athletic, but I was always doing something to move my body. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I remember feeling this utter sense of restlessness; It was a stillness I wasn’t used to. Many people look back at this era and cringe over the home workout videos we followed to settle this discomfort. We wanted to better ourselves, but at times, it became a toxic battle against our bodies. I know a good portion of women my age who would shudder at the sound of a Chloe Ting timer beep.
Though I considered myself to be active, I wasn’t truly engaged in fitness outside of organized sports. I never imagined myself qualified enough to step foot in a public gym, let alone pick up a free weight. As I naturally began to transition into my final years of varsity softball, I knew there had to be something waiting for me beyond 15 minute core workouts.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when but around the summer of my junior year was when a new wave of motivation hit me. I wanted to be a girl who went to the gym. I just didn’t really know how to be one. It started off completely physique-centered. I wanted to look like the fitness influencers who posed and flexed their abs on my feed. I dabbled in cardio and rarely ventured into the intimidating Planet Fitness jungle of cable machines.
It felt good to be active in a new way, but I was growing stagnant without any clear goals in mind. After spending some time in the gym, I became confident. I wanted to be strong. I began developing workout plans and doing rudimentary research on exercises and diet.
Now, I can hardly imagine my day without a trip to the gym. Don’t get me wrong, I take days off, and I complain. Sometimes, I regress to the girl who wanted to look like someone else. I forget what I’m trying to attain, and my goals for strength, well-being, and appearance contradict each other.
However, the gym has given me a medium to set and achieve goals in a healthy manner. For as many setbacks as I face, I can always count on small achievements to outweigh my doubts. I also work out with friends and family, making the process feel even more worthwhile. I now do a routine mixture of weight training and cardio or generally anything that makes me feel good. There is no one, right way to be fit. If I could go back in time, I would preach this to my younger self. You are worthy of self-love, no matter what stage you are at. If going to the gym has taught me anything, its that small achievements are still achievements worth celebrating.