The atmosphere feels hectic in almost every gym that you walk into if you’re a beginner. Even if you’re like me, someone who did organized sports all her life and knows how to stay active, gyms can be very intimidating. At least at my school gym, the vibe can be very off-putting. I will always remember the first time I walked into my school gym.
I opened up the doors of this massive Rec building and immediately was hit with the stench of sweat. “oh great, it already smells, and I haven’t even started working out,” I thought to myself. As I walked in, scanned my ID, and descended to the cardio room I saw almost every machine was full. I remember thinking “well I run for sports, I’m sure the treadmill is just like that.” Let me tell you, the treadmill is your boring aunt that won’t stop telling you about her latest trip to Costco and how much she saved—it is almost unbearable for any extended amount of time. Probably as soon as I started on the treadmill, I pushed the bottoms to slow to a walk and exclaimed to myself, “how I am supposed to work out!” I had always played sports growing up so staying active was a part of my daily routine. I was used to 2-3 rigorous hours of water polo practice, and nothing I could do at the gym seemed to make me feel as invigorated as I would after practice. For a while, I tried to create my own workouts and lifts, but I never saw clear results like I wanted to. Only after training for a half-marathon and educating myself more on how exactly to workout/diet, did I feel that same sense of accomplishment that I had longed for.
I felt completed enthralled by the sense of empowerment after training. Only then did I realize how much a healthy lifestyle can impact every aspect of your life from mental health to weight to even making new friends. I wanted to be able to share the pride and sense of self-efficacy, so I became a personal trainer. The path to be a personal trainer doesn’t actually include a lot of exercises, but rather focuses on education. In my course, I learned how to design a client’s exercise plan, how to motivate people, more about the biology of the body, and how to properly lift. I also learned how to be a group exercise instructor (which is harder than you think). Being an instructor in a class is more than just knowing how to do the exercise and how to correct people’s form. Being an instructor (at least to me) is believing that every single person has the ability to enact change in their life and showing them that they have that ability.
On a personal level, my interest in fitness has created a healthier lifestyle for me by helping me cope with anxiety and forcing me to step outside my comfort zone. Public speaking is one of my worst fears, so it felt counterintuitive for me to want to have 30 people staring at me as I explain the workout and then having to yell motivation every 10 seconds during the workout every time I teach a class. Throughout my life, I have struggled with my anxiety and one of the best things that has helped me cope is exercise. It allows me to take a break from the stressful place instead my head, feel better about myself, and most of all have fun. Exercise has changed the way that I view life and has made me exponentially more optimistic. By being a personal trainer, I hope to help other people see that change is possible no matter where you are.