I know what you're thinking: Oh great, another fit, buff person ready to tell me why I need to work out and how much they love to work out. Here's the thing, your thinking would be very, very wrong.

This is my story of why I started working out at the gym after years and years of putting it off. I know I can't convince you to start working out, but if you're willing to listen, I'm willing to tell you my personal story.

Here at Shippensburg University,I try to go to our gym at least 3 times a week and for at least an hour every time. I've been going for 3 weeks and even though its been a short amount of time, I can already see a change in myself.

I've been physically unhealthy my whole life. When I was born, I was born 10 pounds which is obviously a lot for a baby. The first thing I ever heard (according to my parents) after being birthed into this world was from the doctor: "You could put this one on the school bus now!" When you hear the story of how the first thing you ever heard after being born was something regarding your weight, it doesn't set you up for a lifetime of positive body image.

Ever since then my self confidence has fluctuated a lot. I would have good days where I felt comfortable in clothes and how I looked, but there would be many bad days where I didn't want to leave my bed because I didn't want anyone to see me. It had always been an up and down when it came to my body image. I've always thought I would be a lot better of a person and my life would have turned out completely differently if I lived my life in a different body. Toned stomach, toned/ small thighs, and a smaller face with defined features. I saw the pretty girls with a very positive body image all around me and knew I would never be able to look like them or feel like them.

Everyone always told me I'd be way more happy with myself and my life if I worked out. My mom always encouraged me to start, because she loves to work out. She goes to the gym every morning before she goes at work at 4 a.m. She tells me all of her stories about how when she was young, the gym and would make her feel better after a bad day and make her good days even better.

Going into college, I think I was at one of the best points in my life. My senior year of high school was the best year of my life. I had great friends, a great family, a great job, and a great lookout on life. My body image was kind of put to the side while all of this because I was just so happy in the rest of my life. So when I got to college, it all kind of came crashing down on me when I realized I wasn't happy with myself and I've been blocking that out of my mind during my senior year.

The first few days at Shippensburg I was in a funk. All I thought about was all the girls around me and how much better they looked than I did. I was taught my whole life not to compare myself, but it's probably one of the hardest things you could ever ask a teenage girl to do. We have a free gym on campus and I knew going into Freshman Year I would try to go at least once and see how I liked it and if I could handle it. After working up the nerve, I finally decided that it was the day and I needed to try it before I could knock it.

With a few mental breakdowns, a 100 song playlist, and a full water bottle, I made my way to the Shippensburg University gym, called ShipRec. I went with my friends Megan and Grace, who often went to the gym in our hometown. I was completely intimidated and so scared of judgement from everyone there. When I got there, they went straight to the one thing I tried to stay away from.

The treadmill. I played softball for 10 years, and obviously that requires running. I was always the slowest one on the team, no matter what team it was. I was always so insecure when it came to running because I was always so slow. I stopped playing softball at 15 years old and never did any other sport or physical activity after that.

I always put off working out for the sole reason of I wanted to avoid the embarrassment I felt every softball practice and game. I hated that feeling of the sweat on my neck, the heavy breathing, and the soreness I felt the next day, because even though those things wouldn't last , the feeling of anxiety and embarrassment always would.

So when they went to the treadmill, I got scared. I decided it was time to be brave and go on that treadmill. I spent 10 minutes on it, and I was so proud of myself. We spent another hour there doing other workouts or machines. When I left that night and walked back to my dorm, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment.

Even though the weight I want off isn't off yet, the body image I want I don't possess yet, and I still get anxious when I get on that treadmill, I have felt such a sense of accomplishment every time I walk into the gym and do my hour workout. I have become such a better person and going there makes me happy.

I really can't sway you into wanting to go to the gym or wanting to work out and I can't convince you that your body image can change, but I will say this new experience has changed my life for the better. I am so happy my family and friends (mostly my mom) convinced me to start going to the gym here on campus and I'm so proud of myself that I listened. Remember that doing things that intimidate you is one of the most courageous things you can do, and sometimes, the results are better than you could ever imagine.