By Julia White
Lately, I’ve seen a few posts from people on social medias that are embarrassed of working out at the Colvin (or any gym) because they’re afraid people will judge them or look down on them because they don’t really know what they’re doing, they’re overweight, and/or they can’t lift as much as other people in the gym. I’ve been the same way. I participated in multiple sports all throughout high school but after they were all over with my senior year, I didn’t exercise as much as I should have. I went from running long distance almost every day and lifting during off season to doing nothing but running a mile every other day and occasionally doing some ab workouts or various body weight exercises. You can definitely tell. Even though I really didn’t gain any weight, I lost a lot of muscle definition and instead of looking lean, I just looked soft.
When I first came here, I HATED lifting at the Colvin. I felt like I was just embarrassing myself in there because I wasn’t all-knowing about weight lifting and I couldn’t lift near as much as I did in high school or as much as others were. I instead chose to go to the Seretean Wellness Center. If you’ve never been, it’s much smaller and feels more private. I definitely recommend going there if you’re wanting to get into weight training but are too embarrassed to go to the huge facility that is the Colvin or even if you just want to get into cardio. I was also really interested in yoga but I didn’t want to join a class because I had no idea what I was doing. I eventually did, and I absolutely love it! Deciding to do the things I wanted instead of worrying about what other people were thinking was the best decision I’ve ever made.
If you want to start living a healthier, more active lifestyle, don’t be afraid or embarrassed. If someone wants to look down on you for that, shame on them. There are more people out there that want to help you rather than hinder you. So don’t be afraid to ask someone or to do some research online. Everyone has to start somewhere. So go join a class, go for a swim, go for a walk or a run, get a few friends together and play a game. Whatever you want to do, do it! Start living that healthy, happy lifestyle you deserve. And if you ever need a workout partner, I’m always up for it!