All the messiness of the last 6 months continues to teach us a lot about ourselves. It reveals what we value, what we fear, and how we feel about others. For some of us, it’s been a great opportunity to spend less time working and more time with family. For others it’s too much time with family and not enough time working! Regardless of your situation, you’ve no doubt been forced to take a hard look at how you spend your precious time. During the first lockdown, my family enjoyed hunkering down together and doing workouts outside around the laptop. But the novelty soon wore off and we were ready for breakfast at Snooze and workouts in the gym. For many of us, the gym is our sanctuary. It’s the place where I can push myself for the reward of an endorphin rush and the satisfaction that I put another hard workout “in the bank.” It’s where I have the privilege to lead other athletes and friends through tough WODs and the satisfaction following when they thank me for the encouraging “push.” But most of all, it’s the community of people with whom we share the space. It’s where Elise and Kari chatter non-stop through the 5am class, Clint begs for more burpees, and Sarah makes a giant mess of chalk on the floor. It’s where Andrew squats 2x my body weight, and Travis loads his barbell while sitting cross-legged on the floor. It’s where Lisa Dunn shouts words of encouragement to other athletes during Wednesday partner WODs. And it’s where we joyfully welcome new athletes like Chhavi, Jen, Clayton and others to our tribe. It’s our refuge from the oppression of our “new normal.”
So, now we huddle around social media like a 1940’s transistor radio, awaiting decisions of state and county officials regarding our response to current pandemic threat levels. We are all hoping and praying for a solution that allows for small business owners to survive without sacrificing the physical and mental health of the community. Selfishly, I fear my gym will be closed and I’ll no longer enjoy the luxury of pushing away from my desk at noon to break up my day with a workout. For most of us though, the stakes are much higher and the past 6 months have been far more challenging. Which is why we need our community; we need to be part of something, to belong. I have so much to be grateful for, including the gym. So I plan to keep showing up, wearing a mask, wiping down the equipment, and having fun with friends. I hope for your mental and physical health, you do the same.
-Chris Jackson, Group Fitness Coach
