Unwind with Friends - at the gym!

This morning in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, I stumbled on an article called “The Gym’s the Place to Tone Social Skills as Much as the Body” by Ronna L. Edelstein. I stopped to read this article, because I couldn’t agree more. 

I have played on many sports teams in my life, starting with tennis in elementary school through to being the captain of the club field hockey team in college. Some of my closest friends have always been the people I have played sports with. And why not? Exercise is one of the best way to blow of steam and get endorphins, and the camaraderie of a team sport makes your team members some of your best friends. 

But I have given up the club field hockey team, and now spend many days a week at the gym. This article reminded me that I have been able to form my relationship with one of my best friends (referred to as L) through our ideally-daily (but normally a few times a week) gym dates. We typically go to the gym and bike next to each other for 45 minutes and discuss what’s new in our lives. These gym sessions are so important to me. I need the 45 minutes to unwind from my day and I really look forward to advice from L. Since July, when we started going to the gym together, I have grown to really value these sessions and look forward to them.

In the article, Ronna says that she has a similar routine of meeting two women every other Sunday at the gym to catch up. She met these women at the gym and has formed great relationships with them and loves hearing about all of their different experiences, from teaching to traveling. I have been attending a zumba studio for the past year or so and though I normally go with my friends and stay with them, I have noticed that many of the other regulars have become friends with each other and clearly enjoy catching up before class each week. 

But the article makes another point that I had not thought about before. Ronna writes that it is easy to meet people at the gym because “With sweat dribbling down faces free from make-up and with exercise outfits revealing every bump and bulge, it is easy to put aside social formalities and just talk.” Her point is definitely true- everyone is at the gym with the same goals in mind. To me the image of a “make-up free face” shows that no one trying to portray the image of being flawless, and in that way each person at the gym is relatable. 

So if you are one of those people who doesn’t already enjoy going to the gym, think about these perks and get out there! Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying the gym and and the people there as much as my best friend, L and I do. “After all”, Edelstein writes, “the gym empowers me, giving me the physical fuel and social camaraderie that will sustain me until I return the next morning.”