My Fitness Journey

My fitness journey has been a long one. Has it been “easy”, absolutely not. However it’s been a journey, my journey.

I had a Grade 9 Phys Ed teacher tell me that maybe I shouldn’t try do anything physical anymore, right after a fitness test I had failed miserably. I still remember that moment clearly. Thinking back, if I actually had listened to that teacher, especially at such a vulnerable age, I would probably have a different journey I would be sharing with you right now.

I remember the first gym I ever joined. There was a mandatory “fitness” test when you joined. It was basically pushups, jogging on a treadmill and pinching me with a body fat contraption . Obviously it came back I was “obese” and “unfit” based on their criteria. Looking back I maybe weighed 140 lbs at this point. With no knowledge of how to train in a gym or even what half of the equipment was, it was kind of like well good luck, see you later unless you do this weight loss program we offer, at an outrageous price. Me being naïve, signed up for it. It is like they plugged in all the food I checked off I liked, into a computer program and it dumped out a diet plan for me, with no thought or even review of it. I remember 4 cups of cucumbers was a lunch. Needless to say that failed, and every month I was just donating my money to them.

I later ended up joining another gym which actually offered a orientation session and had someone show me how all the equipment worked and proper form needed when using it. I enjoyed the orientation that I went to in weeks later and asked about a personal trainer or a program. By this time I was actually at the heaviest I had been and my body felt very angry and uncomfortable. That is when I started training with a trainer. I needed to learn a routine and get feeling motivated. Having someone there expecting me at a certain time and certain days, got me into a routine that I knew I personally needed. Having this time at this particular gym allowed me to feel confident when walking into another gym.

After moving, it didn’t take me long to realize my new gym was not for me. It was super intimidating and you could hardly get near weight racks as it was filled with dudes with minimal shirts on. I made the best of it and started leaning more towards the classes like Zumba which was super fun and I loved it. I felt more comfortable, however I was missing weights. It was really a time when gyms still seemed divided, all women in classes and all men lifting weights. My husband wanted to look into working out and I knew this vibe was less for him than it was for me.

We ended up finding a boutique gym that ran only small classes with the owner training us. It was a great variety of cardio, weights and recovery. Functional training. We got into a routine and loved going, having a sense of community, no matter what our fitness levels were. It was a place that pushed your limits however at the same time you felt comfortable going. It truly was a little family. We still miss going there even 10 years later after moving.

After moving my husband and I didn’t join anything right away. We sat on the couch a lot and got out of a routine real quick. We started to get bored but also our bodies were showing signs that they weren’t happy we were not moving. Volleyball once a week just didn’t seem to be enough We tried some at home workouts, which there are some great ones out there. However we knew we needed to join something to get really moving again.

We ended up joining a gym close to us, we needed one close as we knew we wouldn’t go if it was inconvenient. It was a smaller gym so we knew it was more our style. We literally signed up and than hit McDonalds’s that night. We don’t normally eat it so why we did that I still don’t know. We have now been at that gym for quite some time, to the point where we go in the morning now. It also makes a huge difference when a gym is clean and well taken care of.

It really hit us hard in 2020 and 2021 when gyms were closed. We learned we are not home basement gym people, even though we pushed through and made the best of the situation. With both of us having homebody personalities, we still needed to have a place to go to outside our house. Our mental health really struggled.

Throughout this current phase of my fitness journey I have tried a variety of activities from bootcamp style to having a personal trainer. I have lost weight. I have gained weight. I have pushed myself. I have lacked motivation. I have hit personal records. I have taken a break. It is because of these ups and down that I have become stronger physically and mentally as a person. I have grown confidence since that Grade 9 student being told not to do physical activities.

Your journey will be different than mine. Your journey is going to be your story. However our journeys may cross paths as we find a sense of comfort and community.