When your health isn’t being prioritized, life can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. For Christy, it was a literal uphill battle that gave her the drive she needed to make some changes in her life. Now, she’s lost 50 pounds (and kept it off), quit smoking, and feels better than ever — both physically and mentally.
The hill that started it all
When sharing her story, Chrisy cites a very specific event as being responsible for her new perspective on life. It all started while she and her then-boyfriend were walking with a group of mutual friends. At the time, Christy was a habitual smoker. As they started to make their way up a steep hill, she felt her lungs begin to burn. She noted that while she was having trouble breathing, her friends (also smokers), weren’t nearly as out of breath as she was.
“I didn’t think I was going to make it up that hill,” Christy recalled. It was at this moment that she realized something had to change in her life.
Finding her footing
Christy’s fitness journey started through a connection on Facebook. A friend of the family was studying to become a personal trainer, creating and sharing her own workout videos on the platform.
“I’d never heard of a personal trainer,” said Christy, “I’d never [even] been in a gym before.” It was her friend’s high energy and bubbly personality that first piqued Christy’s interest, saying, “She’s just so cute, it makes you want to work out!”
Following along with the videos, Christy started seeing results. She shed a few pounds and her muscles began to tone up, but she wanted more.
Perhaps serendipitously, it was Facebook again that helped Christy find a solution. While on the hunt for a gym, an ad for her local Anytime Fitness popped up in her feed. She immediately sent a message asking for more information. Coach Jen, who had just acquired ownership of the Fort Walton Beach location, got back to her right away, and with some gentle persuasion and encouragement, Jen convinced Christy to stop by.
For those with anxiety, like Christy, new places and experiences can be overwhelming — but having a good support system can help. With her now-husband by her side, her personal trainer-friend on speakerphone, and Coach Jen welcoming her with words of encouragement, Christy crossed the threshold of a gym for the first time in her life.
Overcoming anxiety (like a boss)
Christy credits her support system as one of the driving factors in her fitness success. With Jen’s coaching, Christy grew in confidence as she mastered the basics of strength training. “I learned everything I know from her,” said Christy about her trainer, noting that her confidence truly solidified once she understood form, diet and the “why” of it all.
A few months into her training, Jen started to push Christy’s limits.
“I remember the first time Jen wanted me to do a box jump,” she recalls. “I was like … (laughs) … that is never going to happen.” But each time she hesitated to make the leap, Jen assured her she was ready. Pushing her fears aside, Christy made that jump.
That moment solidified for her that she was exactly where she was meant to be. “Now,” she remarked, “people say I walk in the gym like a boss.”
Seeing the results, inside and out
Prioritizing fitness not only helped Christy lose weight, but it improved her mental health, too.
“I used to be on a lot of medication for sleeping and anxiety,” said Christy. “Now I just get on the treadmill and run.” She says that if she’d known before that working out was such a good outlet for stress, she would’ve been hitting the gym a long time ago, with the endorphins and extra energy she gets when she works out being a key factor to her improved mental health.
“That’s one thing I wish people would realize,” said Christy. “I wish more people knew about how well working out works for your mental health.”
Fitness, family, and finding her thing
Over the past few years, Christy has crushed every fitness goal she’s set for herself. When asked why she continues her gym journey, Christy simply says, “They become your family.” Even after Coach Jen moved away and Christy started with a new trainer, she and Jen still consider each other friends.
“That’s what Anytime Fitness is to me,” said Christy. “It’s just such a support system.”
To commemorate that support and celebrate all the milestones reached along her fitness journey, Christy, Jen, and a few other dedicated gym-goers made it official in ink. Like other members who count Anytime Fitness as being their motivation for a better, healthier life, the whole group got the Runningman tattooed on their bodies — talk about badass!
A lot has changed in Christy’s life over the past three years, but most notably are her habits. Whereas before she would turn to a cigarette to calm her nerves, now she visits the purple turf to sweat it out. And she likes it a lot better that way.
“I just like lifting heavy weights,” laughed Christy. “It’s become an obsession.”
Huge thanks to Christy for sharing her amazing story with us! Feeling inspired? Find a gym near you and start creating healthier habits in your own life.
