Fellow gym rats and even newbies, listen up
Going from being a three-sport athlete my entire life to becoming a full-time college student was a tough transition for me to make, and I know that I’m not the only one. Exercise was something that had always been planned out for me through practices or games since I was a little girl. Once I was off on my own, I found it difficult to fit it into my schedule and it began feeling more like a chore rather than something I actually enjoyed doing. I eventually lost myself and stopped taking care of my body completely. Instead, I would just fill the void with overeating or studying until I couldn’t take it anymore. College has helped me mature in ways that I never anticipated, especially learning how to better manage my time. Fast forward to today, my priorities are set straight and I have found the perfect balance between school, work, my social life and my favorite priority of all, going to the gym.
Once I started reincorporating the gym back into my life, it was love at first sight all over again. I quickly became obsessed, spending a couple of hours a day, seven days a week there. In reality, I was destroying my body and overworking it to the point where I was constantly exhausted and couldn’t build up the energy to do the things I once loved. This soon became extremely toxic for me and my mental health. I felt that I was failing myself if I took a rest day, or didn’t have an amazing workout. To pile on, social media constantly reminded me that in order to be happy with myself, I had to have the perfect body. So what did I do? I took another break, but this time a mental break; a time where I just reevaluated who I wanted to become. Today’s culture surrounding the gym makes it so difficult to not compare yourself to others, but it’s important to recognize that you’re showing up for yourself, you’re putting in the work for yourself, not for anyone else but you.
This was a long, and by no means easy, struggle that I had to overcome, but I can confidently say that I am comfortable in my own skin and am obsessed with the progress I have made both physically and mentally. I finally have a healthy relationship with my body and have accepted the fact that it isn’t and never will be the same as it was in high school, and that’s completely natural. Now there are countless reasons as to why the gym brings me so much serotonin and I’m going to share them so that hopefully you can enjoy my home away from home as much as I do.
I know that for beginners, especially women, the gym can be a scary place. It’s perceived as a male-dominated powerhouse full of intimidation and judgment. But honestly, chances are that people aren’t even paying attention to you and even if they are, you’re not alone, someone else is always going to be starting their fitness journey too. The gym is surprisingly a pretty supportive environment, you just have to remember that everyone has the same end goal: making progress and bettering themselves.
Although the gym helps me stay in shape, I love its ability to clear my mind from the stress, frustration and overload that comes along with classes and work (even though I also work at the gym, shoutout to the Nick lol!) in college. It’s saved me from overwhelming myself and has reminded me that it’s okay to take breaks from studying. News flash: you can still be productive even if it isn’t pertaining to school!!!
I guess the biggest takeaway here is that the gym has always been something that has been there for me. On my worst days, on my best days and every day in between, going to the gym is something that has brought me pure joy. Even if you don’t think that it’s the right place for you, I encourage you to give it a try because you never know what’ll happen. I consider it to be my safe space on campus and it has really helped me find myself in this crazy journey that we call college.