Girlfriend's Fit Club | The Non-Sporty Girls Guide to the Gym
Girlfriends Fitclub is a women's gym in West Michigan. Located in Holland, MI, we offer a variety of health and fitness facilities to service all women.
Women's gyms in holland, gyms in holland, yoga, zumba, boot camp, pound, personal training, barre, hot yoga, women's fitness club, nutrition, weight loss centers, childcare, senior fitness, group fitness
1389
post-template-default,single,single-post,postid-1389,single-format-standard,theme-bridge,woocommerce-no-js,tribe-no-js,page-template-bridge,tec-no-tickets-on-recurring,tec-no-rsvp-on-recurring,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-title-hidden,qode_grid_1300,footer_responsive_adv,columns-4,qode-theme-ver-11.1,qode-theme-bridge,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-5.1.1,vc_responsive,tribe-theme-bridge

03 Mar The Non-Sporty Girls Guide to the Gym

Posted at 06:31h in Fitness, Lifestyle by
1 Like

As a kid growing up, I stayed away from sports. I was uncoordinated and awkward. Instead of running towards the ball in 4th grade soccer, I ran away. I sat in the dirt and dug holes during t-ball games, and was generally picked last for any team sports. In middle school I found my niche in the music and theater scene. From there on out stayed clear of anything to do with athletics.

I always equated fitness with sports- so because I wasn’t great at sports, therefore I couldn’t belong in a gym.

the gym was a place of intimidating unknowns.

Fast forward to my early twenties. After college and then 8 months on an international mission field, I returned home at my highest weight. I was frustrated that I didn’t know how to get fit.

My mom invited me to try out some classes with her at Girlfriends Fit Club. First off, I never would have agreed had it not been an all women’s gym. I was embarrassed that I barely knew how to work a treadmill much less any of the weight training machines. Going was uncomfortable at first. But the more I went to classes, the more I grew to love moving my body and pushing its athletic limits. At 22 years old, I started to get serious about caring for my body in exercise.

Hand me a basketball and I’d freeze; put me in a class of encouraging women following an approachable instructor- I thrived.

Quickly the community at the gym ceased to become intimidating. Working out became a part of my daily routine in the years that followed. I enjoyed getting a good sweat in before a long day in the office.  When I got engaged to be married, I was determined to fit perfectly in that white Vera Wang dream dress and pushed myself at the gym even more.

My fitness journey then followed me through early marriage and pregnancy- I was terrified about all the unknowns of how my body would change, but I was determined to stay as fit as I could for myself and this precious gift of a child. I muddled my way through the 1st-trimester nausea, burpee’d my way through the bliss of 2nd trimester and waddled through the third trimester up until a few days before giving birth.

The initial postpartum recovery was a shock to my body, and I was forced to rest and heal. At 6 months postpartum I’m back in to full workouts, and re-learning what physical limits my body is capable of but careful not to push too hard.

Through all of these seasons, my gym been a consistent, accessible place for me to get moving.

There’s something empowering about having a space that invites you to be fully present in your fitness journey.

When I step into Girlfriends Fit Club, I can shift my mind towards a good sweat and focus on the workout. Some days I walk in dreading a workout and a million excuses creep in. Usually, by the end of that workout, I feel great- heart full, body tired, mind renewed. But there are days that I never get past the slump and it’s a victory to just push through. And you know what? That’s OK. The point is, get moving and find what works for you.

 

In the end, the key to sticking with a healthy fitness lifestyle is finding a type of workout that you love. (Or at least hate less than others).

I am not a fan of running; I doubt you’ll ever see me line up for a 5k. But I love a good tabata sweat session. Sports aren’t my thing- but barre, yoga, weight lifting, get me excited. I am thankful that there are such diverse options at my gym.

If there’s something about going to a gym that’s holding you back, consider this an invitation from one non-sporty girl to another. Give it a try. You might just be surprised.

 

Emily Weener is a member of Girlfriends Fit Club. She is also the author of the blog Darling Little Life; a lifestyle blog including faith, fashion, family and everything in between.