“up in the gym just working on my fitness he my witness”

Heyyyy! Just about to hit the gym and am excited… honestly, this is a new feeling for myself. I swear I have hated going to the gym for the longest time! Throughout college, I think I stepped foot in the rec center twice… HAHAHA, my friends stopped asking me to go to the gym or when we hung out to do something remotely close to working out because they knew I’d probably throw a fit about it, sorry you guys! You get the point, and I would avoid working out at all costs!

Now fast forward to about a year and a half ago, and I found myself hating the way I looked, well it didn’t just start than it was an ongoing thing, but anyways, I was not happy and was upset. I found myself complaining ALOT, sorry Nick and finally he said the dreaded words a boyfriend could say- go to the gym. OMG lets say rather than being like aw thanks babe; I think I was like Ummm excuse me?? How dare you say that LMAO- SO DRAMATIC. Well, he was right if I wanted to change the way I felt or what I saw it would take more than just complaining, what a concept, huh!? Well then this fantastic moment happened, Nick and I were off on a trip to Paris and London, where he proposed. Now I was like oh shoot, got get my wedding bod in check. The start of my so-called gym life. LOL

It started with just getting myself to the gym, and this has to be the hardest part showing up. I started just doing some walking and running on the treadmill in my apartment gym. After about a week I was like ” why don’t I have abs?” well that because it had been a week and all I was doing was cardio, and for my body, I need more. To the internet, I went, and at that point, I was not interested in paying for memberships to gyms. Throughout this time, my boss at that time was going to this gym and literally, every day asked me to try it because she knew I’d love it as much as she did ( SPOILER ALERT: She was 1000% correct).

I spent a lot of time getting myself motivated to workout, I went through spurts of going consistently, and times where I wouldn’t go for weeks it was up and down for about a year and then as I was with a girlfriend she said she started at this gym called VIE Athletics, the very same gym my former boss had been trying to get me to go to! Well my friend talked me into it one Saturday morning to try it, at this point I was no in my apartment and was doing free online workouts to get in shape ( loved those but needed more), so I tried my first class, and I was hooked. The atmosphere was fast, upbeat, and encouraging. I felt like I was a regular the minute I walked in. The coaches were helpful and were there to help if needed. After the class, I immediately signed up for the membership no hesitation just did it. For me, this was huge. I had been such an anti-gym, workout person that for me finding something that I love was rare.

Vie Athletics, is an all women’s gym focused on better yourself physically but also mentally. I started with three days a week and became so “addicted” I changed my membership about a month into an unlimited- basically six days a week which again, SHOCKING. There is something about going to a gym or class you love. Where when you don’t go, someone asks where you were! Every day is a new type of workout, and for me, this is such a big plus because I don’t get bored and that what happens when I would do other types of exercises because I was doing the same thing over and over. Their workouts consist of to what is CrossFit like, but more of HIIT, honestly I could be making that up as I am not expert, but what it reminds me of LOL.

Working out now has become part of my routine, in the school year I am up early ( also, this is shocking because I am NOT a morning person at all, but here we are 27 has changed me) and in the summer I still go in the morning just not 5:30 am. Routines are so important, and for me making working out a part of my routine I have found I have more energy, I am way less cranky and all-around happier.

If you are or were anything like myself with working out, don’t give up, keep looking for gyms that fit you and your personal goals. I found that my end goal wasn’t to have a ripped body, but that I needed something to help have an outlet other than trashy tv and along the way, I have learned to love my body for every toned or cushiony part. So if your goals are to be ripped great, find a gym that can help you achieve that and if your goal is to feel better emotionally and physically, great there is a place that will do that. DOn’t get discouraged if it takes you a bit, I mean it took me like 27 years, but who is counting. Just do as Fergie says, ” Up in the gym working on my fitness.”

What are your favorite workouts? Would you like more information about what I did at home or the specific exercises from VIE? Let me know!!!

Honestly Elise