Finding inspiration and motivation to get to the gym can be the toughest pieces of the puzzle when it comes to starting or maintaining a healthy exercise routine. And sometimes, that motivation — that final little push that many of us need — comes from the unlikeliest of places. Like the security checkpoint at the airport. At least, that was the case for AF member Jaymie.
An unexpected journey into fitness
“When I was 52, I was going to see my best friend in California,” says Jaymie. “I went to the airport and took off my shoes to go through security. When I got through security, I couldn’t bend down to put my shoes back on, and I was like, ‘oh my gosh.’ I ended up [getting them on] but I was so out of breath.”
Motivation: Check!
Jaymie continues: “So, I get to California, I see my best friend, and she had lost a lot of weight and looked so good. I told her how good she looked, and she said she’d started running.”
Inspiration: Check!
When Jaymie returned home from California, she immediately took up running. “My first run was two miles, and I never stopped.” For a while, running was her only form of exercise. Until, that is, she got a trainer, who taught her the importance of incorporating weightlifting — as well as the importance of losing weight in a healthy way.
“Daniel kicked my ass,” says Jaymie. “I think I lost another 35 or 40 pounds.” That was 8 years ago, and to this day, Jaymie trains with AF Coach Daniel twice a week. With his guidance, weight loss has been just one of the many benefits Jaymie’s gained from her time at AF.
“They’re so great. They’re so helpful. They’re so knowledgeable about nutrition, and diet, and muscle mass, and fat mass, and everything.”
Finding her happy place
About a year before she started her AF journey, Jaymie moved to her new hometown of Woodstock, Illinois. The mother of five grown kids had been a member at a different gym previously, but she’d stopped going because she wasn’t feeling inspired by the trainers. She bought some exercise equipment to put in the home she shared with her husband, and … it gathered dust.
“Once we moved out here, I was going to try to find [that same gym brand] ,” she says. She pulled into the parking lot and realized she’d actually come to an Anytime Fitness. She decided to go inside anyway, and aftering chatting with the manager, opted to give AF a try.
Her passion for exercise was reignited. “The camaraderie is just awesome,” says Jaymie. “The trainers are awesome. It’s a very fun gym and my happy place.”
Jaymie’s also made friends at AF, including a group of women who go to the movies together and hang out regularly. And last year, she joined her “gym family” at a weight-lifting competition, where she broke state records for Illinois and got first place in both deadlifting and bench pressing.
“I’d never done it before!” says Jaymie. “There were maybe 10 of us who competed, and we all got first or second place.”
All in the family
About 5 years ago, Jaymie convinced her husband, Ralph, to train with Daniel. After his refreshed fitness routine and lifestyle, Ralph built up muscle mass and was able to get off his diabetes medications.
But then in 2021, Jaymie and Ralph had a nightmare of a year — even by 2021 standards. Ralph had gotten a back surgery that wasn’t successful and while he was rehabbing, both he and Jaymie got COVID, which landed him in the ICU for four weeks with a grim prognosis. He lost all his muscle mass and had a stroke that meant he had to learn how to walk again.
After several more surgeries to Ralph’s eyes, foot and back, the doctors were able to remove a cyst from his spine that put him on the path to recovery. Jaymie helped him recover through at-home rehab. And once he was able, Ralph returned to training with Daniel, who helped him build his muscle mass back up.
“We’re in good health now,” says Jaymie, who herself has been able to go off her asthma and heartburn medication since her training began. “It’s so great to just be healthy. And I think working out keeps my brain from getting too foggy. Mentally, I feel good. ”
Continued inspiration. And cake.
Even after a weekend that may have included some cake and ice cream, Jaymie finds herself back in the gym ready for the work.
“I’m always striving to do better for myself,” she says, adding that Daniel is a big part of keeping that motivation going even when she might be feeling down on herself.
“He inspires me to be stronger and better. He’s been my biggest inspiration. I feel really good. He just keeps me wanting to do better.” She adds: “The stories I see on other people push me to do better. I feel I can learn from others and it keeps me inspired.”
“There have been … ups and downs, but I take it one day at a time. And this gym keeps me always wanting to come back.”
