CORE VALUE SERIES: SHOW UP WHERE YOU'RE AT

We are continuing with our Core Value Series where we’re diving a bit deeper into each core value of Worth the Work Fitness in order to help you get to know us better, and to help encourage you towards a healthier mindset with your health and wellness journey. Each week we are sharing one of our nine core values that are a part of the foundation of why we do what we do, and expanding on why each one is so significant to us and why we believe they can be significant to you as well.

We’re not concerned about what experience you have with exercise or what type of shape you’re currently in. It doesn’t matter to us whether you've never worked out in your life, or you currently work out 6 days/week. We are a community of like-minded individuals who recognize that while everyone’s journey is different and we’re all at different points, we're all in it together. We support any and everyone who is willing to put in the work with us, no matter where you're at on your journey.

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Have you ever felt intimidated by exercise? Or maybe better put, have you ever felt intimidated by people who exercise? Have you ever seen a fitness advertisement, or a group of people exercising, and think, “I don’t think I could ever do that” or “there’s no way I’d look like that doing that”? Have you ever walked into a gym and when you look around you feel like you’re an imposter - like you don’t belong? And have you ever let that intimidation STOP you from even starting in the first place?

It can absolutely feel intimidating for many people to walk into a gym when just starting out. You want to learn, but you don’t want anyone to notice that you have no idea what you’re doing. Even still, it can feel intimidating for some to walk into a gym even when they know what they’re doing. We all carry some level of insecurity, so we’re prone to measure ourselves against the person doing more reps, pushing more weight, or running faster or longer than we are, and convince ourselves that we don’t belong. It’s all too easy to let ourselves believe that lie, and feel discouraged, and stop showing up.

But I’m here to tell you that you do belong. You get to show up and take care of yourself. Right where you’re at. That’s not a privilege solely allowed for people who already look a certain way, or have a certain set of habits, or who can already do the things that you are aiming to try. Each and every one of us gets to take care of ourselves in whatever way is best for us. And that is going to look different from person to person. Each of us have different starting points. Each of us have different hurdles. Each of us have different equipment and skills of our own to work with. Each of us have different goals we want to achieve. And I think that kind of allowance for diversity makes room for so much more freedom for us all. There’s no one standard we all have to measure up to. 

In the span of our careers in the fitness industry, we’ve worked with a wide variety of people at different points in their journeys. We’ve worked with people who have regularly worked out for years and are just wanting to mix up their workout routine. We’ve worked with people who have had an on and off relationship with their health for years. We’ve worked with people who were athletes “back in the day” but haven’t found a way to continue their lifestyle into adulthood. We’ve worked with people who have never set foot in a gym before. We’ve worked with people who have experienced injuries in the past and are trying to either regain strength or find a new kind of strength. It’s been all across the board. And you know what each of those people have had in common? They showed up for their workouts and put in the work to move their bodies in whatever way they were capable of at that time. 

When you look at a sample of people who exercise, of course one person is going to lift a heavier weight than another. One person is going to squat lower than another. One person is going to jump higher than another. One person is going to run out of breath faster than another. One person is going to be able to push a little harder than another. One person is going to take more water breaks than another. But none of that is what matters. What matters is that they are showing up where they’re at. They are moving their bodies how they can today. And each day they do that, they improve their odds of being able to do more tomorrow than they did today. 

We speak often about how we hold a journey mindset with our health and wellness - not a race mindset. And that’s not just because it’s a lifelong thing. It’s also because we’re not racing against anyone either. It’s not about one-upping our friend, neighbor, co-worker, or the person at the gym we envy. It’s about coming alongside each other no matter what point on the path we are each on. Our goal is to foster a community that is all about that. That looks like someone who has been consistently working out for years encouraging someone who is just getting started because they’ve been there, and they understand how it feels. That looks like someone who is having a hard time feeling motivated for their workouts finding inspiration from the person who just shared about a personal victory they had this week. That looks like when someone achieves a goal they’ve been working on for awhile, they share with the group and are celebrated. And when we do things like that, rather than a couple people advancing far ahead of everyone else, we all get to go farther together. 

So let’s remove the competition. Let’s remove the comparison. And let’s each show up exactly where we’re at right. now. Let’s embrace the journey, together - no matter where we’re each at on it.

Written by Kelly Pruim