A Healthy Progression
Not a sports blog. But it’s related enough.
So I’ve been back training (and exercising) at Pinacle Health & Fitness Inc. in Elmira now for about a month. Certainly good to be back! After finishing a pretty exhausting summer school term at the University of Waterloo, it has been a nice change of pace, shifting from constantly hitting the books … to constantly hitting the gym. But I was recently asked a question that got me thinking. “Why do you love the gym so much?”
Why do I love the gym? What do you mean? What’s not to like?
It’s right about here where it hit me. There are some things in life I take for granted, things that make perfect sense to me now. But things that I had no knowledge on before. Things I had to learn throughout my own fitness journey. I realize that there are A LOT of people out there who don’t know these things and they are exactly where I was three years ago. There is a lot to learn. There is still a lot to learn.
You see, I’ve been using the gym for only a small period of my life, and now it has become a staple in my every day line up. Coming up on almost three years now. I started out as a skinny high school kid who loved sports (well, now I’m just a slightly less skinny ‘adult’ who loves sports). But I was looking for a ‘more active’ job, and stopped by the gym. I dropped a resume off at the new Pinacle Health & Fitness Inc. and waited to see what happened.
Somehow I got an interview. I met with Barney. Amazingly, somehow got a job at the front desk with very little experience. Little did I realize my world was about to be ROCKED.
From day one at Pinacle until now, being at the gym has saturated my life with fitness and health information, sales information, marketing information, and general life information! It’s been a lot of learning, and it’s all contributed to where I am today. It’s led me to become healthier, to become more fit, and to stick with it!
Pinacle has, and continues to influence me each and every day.
Whether it was Rick motivating and inspiring me. Seeing how grounded and insightful Adam was. Seeing how much Zack loved training. Trying to decipher Jeremy’s mind boggling solioquies. Seeing Hailey’s enthusiasm for group fitness. Or having my mind blown by Barney as he gave, and continues to give me every opportunity to learn and expand my knowledge.
Or maybe it was just being in an environment where all of this was part of the norm.
All of this lead me to become a trainer, to live this style of life, and to maintain it. I’ve seen my own stress levels come down significantly. I’ve seen my diet change to a healthlier, more balanced diet. I’m sleeping better than ever. I’m learning more and more about the fitness industry each day. I’m spending an exuberant amount of money getting a kinesiology degree at the University of Waterloo. And to top it off, I’m getting myself into pretty good shape at the same time.
It’s been a constant progression. I didn’t come by all these benefits in a day, a month, or even a year. It’s been a process of building a strong foundation and building up from there. I’ve moved from a state of average health to a state of much better health (I can’t say GREAT health, because there is always room to improve!) and it’s been fantastic.
The truth behind this seems logical. Using the gym = better health. A simple equation to say the least. Yet people still don’t fully grasp this.
So all of this come back to that question. “Why do I love the gym?”
I love it because it is fun. Because of the health benefits I attain while working out. Because of the constant progression I have seen over the years. Because of the never ending expanse of knowledge I am exposed to. Because of the opportunities it presents. Because of the energy that surrounds it. Because of the people. The coworkers. The members. Everything.
Because I know that by being there, day in and day out, I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy, and to teach EVERYONE exactly what it is I’ve learned in the last three years.
It’s a constant progression.
~ Fitness is a Journey, Not a Destination ~
-Blaine
