A Gym Is A Gym?

Lets talk gyms. There are some people who detest the thought of going to the same place (almost) every day, doing repititous exercises and sharing locker room space. I am one of those people who do best being a self-proclaimed 'gym rat', where I can get myself well focused on the activity I'll be doing, all while tuning others out with my personal I-Tunes selection. This is my gym experience in general. I've gone to quite a few gyms before, and to me, I was always drawn to how many cardio machines it has, what types of group classes it offers, does it have a pool & hot tub, or if it boasts the newest line of weight machines or circuit training equipment. When I started going regularly to the gym last year, I chose one across the street from my work for convenience. I figured it'd not be much different from anywhere else I've gone.

What I learned at this particular gym was a different component to the workout: socialization. I am a quiet and relatively shy person by nature, and my usual M.O. is to go to a gym workout, and leave. I would give the occasional smile or pleasant 'hi' or 'good morning', but then I would disappear into a solitary sweaty focused existance while I got through my workout. What I found at this particular gym was different. There are a group of women that come to this gym every weekday that meet before and after their workouts to talk about their lives, health, jobs, activities, or practically anything that came up in conversation in the locker room. If someone isn't there, the ladies would ask eachother where the person was, if they were ok and if there was something they could do to help (if someone needed it). I found myself looking forward to listening to the day's topic of conversation. The ladies are so passionate about certain discussions, and are so supportive and compassionate of eachother. After they finished in the locker room they'd meet in the small lounge area and chat over a cup of coffee.

I think that when I first started, the ladies were a bit wary of this quiet woman changing clothes in the corner. I'm sure they were wondering if I'd keep coming to the gym or if I'd pitter out like so many others before me. I just kept to myself for the first few months, trying to get a routine going so early in the morning. But they did notice me, and one day someone gave me a compliment that I was looking like I was loosing weight. Another lady asked if I had kids, so I brought in a few pics of the lil guy and passed them around. I felt welcomed and supported when I came to this gym every morning. I was even surprised that when I would be out for a week or two (whether it be due to illness or work-related training), the ladies would ask if I was ok. After a two week absence I even got a phone call from a woman who worked at the gym, saying people were asking about what happened to me. These ladies are so sweet and it helped me look forward to getting to the gym so early in the morning.

Unfortunately, I transferred to a new office and now go to a corporate mass-produced gym with the latest equipment and classes. I am amazed at how different it is - most people don't even make eye contact, let alone get into conversations with eachother. People are just coming to workout, then leave to begin their day. At the other gym, people began their day there, with a warm smile and friendly conversation. When it comes to health and wellness, supportive friends are an important component to your workout. People are a great motivator for other people, and socialization is not necessarily a bad thing. I wish to thank the ladies for reminding me of that fact :)