Coming into college, I told myself that I would start going to the gym more. I played several sports in high school, something I likely would not be doing in college, but I still wanted to stay active. Let's just that I did not hold myself accountable for making an effort to go to the gym at first. Second semester rolled around and this time, I devoted more time to make myself go to the small gym across from the dorm, fitting in even thirty minutes a day, even though I absolutely hated it. Exercise became a chore, and quite honestly, it did not make me feel more confident like I had heard it would.

Coming back for sophomore year, I convinced myself that I was ready for the next step up, the big gym with way more to do and more opportunities to push myself. Throughout the semester, the fitness facility grew to be my absolute favorite place on campus. I would, and still do, look forward to my workouts at the ends of long, stressful days because the feeling I got from exercising and bettering myself was like no other. But let me tell you, it was extremely difficult to take that first step and push myself a bit further out of my comfort zone. My entire first-year spring, my boyfriend attempted to get me to work out at the big gym for months, and I refused because I was so nervous. Don't tell him, but he was right and I should've gone so much earlier. Now in my sophomore spring semester, after several months into my real fitness journey, I know a couple things that my pre-workout-loving self would have benefitted from knowing.