What I miss about going to the gym.
Having access to a full blown, commercial grade gym in my home is not as good as you might think it to be. Honestly.
My first feeling, knowing that I have a perfect powerlifting and bodybuilding gym on my property that is not missing one single play toy, was gratitude.
I felt lucky as one of the first problems of coronavirus was solved…or so it would seem. OK, no more going to commercial gyms, train at home, solo, no matter what. Cool, at least I could train. But it honestly isn’t rainbows, kittens and fairy floss. Far from it.
As humans, we are selfish. Even in our play we do it for pleasure. I mean look at us fitness kids. We derive great pleasure from playing with our iron toys. But my last three workouts I have noticed something significant. Whilst resting between sets, with my music typically pumping away in an attempt to keep my mojo entertained and driven, I have noticed a marked feeling of, shall we say, sorrow.
See, training doesn’t feel as good as before self-isolation for me. And it’s not just because of my worries of the changes going on in my and our world and all the chaos. It’s because, in my gym time, now I find myself thinking about my fellow fitness compatriots. All the time. Between EVERY set.
People I haven’t thought about in weeks/months/years are popping into my head and I’m wondering how they are going. Are they managing to train? How are they training? If they aren’t, are they coping? What are they doing to help cope if struggling? I have even thought of people whose names I don’t know at Geelong Derrimut but faces I do, and I think, “Oh, I wonder what that girl or guy is doing, and how are they doing.”
When it comes to training centres and gyms now, in terms of access there is ‘the haves’ and the ‘have nots’. Now here’s the thing: it has really dawned heavily on me that what has given me fulfilment over the years is not owning a gym. It is being able to provide OTHERS with space to train in order that they may empower and improve themselves.
It is, and it has always been, about the fulfilment of others! I did not know this as clearly as I do now. I suppose this means without me evenn knowing it that my happiness is in direct proportion to being able to serve others.
And when I feel my fellow fitness compatriots are hurting, I’m hurting, and it freakin sucks.
Give me a level playing field anytime.