I've Got Friends in Strong Places...

Going to the gym can be a daunting task.  There tends to be a lot of people there and a lot of equipment that you might not know how to use.  It is easy to feel lost or out of place there, but have no fear, there is hope!  World Gym is a fantastic place to work out and I have never felt more comfortable in a gym before!  I ABSOLUTELY started off feeling like I didn’t exactly belong because I had NO CLUE what I was doing.  I’d aimlessly walk around, look at a few machines, wonder what they were for, and then I would try a few out but never really feel like I was doing it RIGHT.  The more I went, the more comfortable I felt.  But it wasn’t until I started personal training that I felt the true community or family-like feeling at the gym.  I’m not saying you need to train to feel part of the team, but it just felt that way for me.  I was there with a purpose and people could tell! 

I think my frame of mind and the vibe I was giving off was much more positive, I wasn’t confused or feeling like I was out of place.  It’s all about how your portray yourself!  If you walk into a room having already decided that this just isn’t going to go your way, it will absolutely turn out that way and everyone is going to feel that negative vibe.  If you walk into the room excited, happy, and ready to rock, you are going to give off a totally different vibe and people are going to see you as approachable and fun!  I highly recommend the 2^nd option :)

I have actually met some wonderful people now that I am training at World Gym.  They are people I know I will keep close to my heart forever.  First person being Sheryl… She works at the gym but also trains there with Craig, the person I train with!  She is incredibly kind and she is the reason I am training with Craig today!  I am indebted to her for life!  She pulls me up when I am down and cheers me on when I succeed.  She is truly an angel!  OK enough of the mushy gushy stuff lol

Next person is Craig, my personal trainer.  He is AMAZING at what he does!  The hour goes by so fast because we talk throughout the entire session (except for when I’m dying and need to focus on breathing lol) and I spend half of that time laughing!  Some personal trainers, doctors, or enthusiasts tend to have strong opinions on certain things or they tell you to do something without explanation, and it is because they have no reason… they just read it in a book somewhere or heard it from another person.  Not the case with Craig.  I ask a LOT of questions and he always has answers… Unless I come up with something totally random and weird… Like my weird feeling in my arm when I laugh LOL!  He could make each workout session totally generic, routine, and very “business” -like but he doesn’t and that is why he is so good at what he does.  You don’t feel like you are going to workout with your trainer, you feel like you are going to workout with a friend!

Mel is another girl that is so kind and she made me feel as comfortable as I could feel after my first workout with Craig when I got sick.  She sat with me until I felt better and comforted me when I was a little scared.  I’m not a fan of throwing up or not knowing what’s going on.  You don’t find people like this every day, and certainly not in any old gym. 

Finally, my newest new friend, is Crystal!  She is such an inspiration and a breath of fresh air!  She introduced herself to me the other day at the gym (she is friends with Sheryl) and we hit it off!  She projects that positive vibe I was telling you about earlier.  You just gravitate toward people like that and they brighten your day.  She also offered to be my cardio workout buddy; I thought that was just so sweet!  Now if I am feeling like cardio is the LAST thing I want to do, I can call her up and say LET’S GO! 

It is so important to build a circle of friends for yourself when going through any kind of transformation.  You need people who you can lean on for support, people who have been where you are and know that the climb is hard, but SO worth it!  It is easier to share your struggles with someone who has struggled with the same things and has succeeded!  I am so grateful to everyone I have mentioned here and I am so excited to meet even more people!  It feels so much better when you can share your successes with a bunch of people who know what it took to reach that point of success!  It also feels even MORE wonderful when you get to cheer those people on.  They are sources of friendship and support; two very important things to have in anyone’s life!

So, I hope you are all healthy and happy and if you are planning on starting up at a gym I highly recommend my gym :) but more importantly, wherever you go, make sure your chin is up and you have a smile on your face! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I will talk to you all very soon!

~ K