Making New Friends Through Fitness

Submitted anonymously from Disability and Aging

Before the pandemic, I worked out at a gym on my lunch hour most days of the work week and some days after work. When the gyms closed due to COVID-19, I tried to take walks in my neighborhood when the weather was nice. My family ended up purchasing an elliptical for our home last summer, but once the gyms opened back up, I preferred to go there for workouts again. I started getting up at 4:30 a.m. and taking exercise classes before work instead of after work, which freed up my time in the evening for other things. Also, I have made new friends in these classes, who miss me if I don’t show up! I have shared contact info with several people at my gym over the past few months, and we have been keeping each other more focused.