Get in the fast lane
March 7, 2010 by Joe Gigantino
I’ve been in the health and fitness industry for 20 years and have had the pleasure of meeting thousands of people that want to get in shape, and of course some that needed it but didn’t want to change their ways. Unfortunately for those that walk away from fitness, they are too comfortable in their ‘routine’ and give every excuse why they can’t get in shape. My advise to them, is to get out of the slow lane! Take the leap, make those sacrifices, stay committed and see and feel amazing results – get in the fast lane of fitness!
A recent meeting reminded me how a client made the leap to the fast lane and brought me back to why we, here in the fitness business, do what we do. I met a lady that reminded me why I am in the business of saving lives.
A club member walked up to me and asked if I was the owner. Even though I am a positive person, my first reaction was, ‘Oh Boy,’ I was going to get an ear full. To my surprise, her exact words were, “Your gym has saved my life.” I smiled and asked her to tell me more.
She proceeded to tell me how she had not worked out for over 20 years and the day she walked into my club 4 months ago might have been the worst day of her life. Ironically, something had brought her to my club that day. She then said it was due to the friendly young man (Jim, one of my staff members) that showed her around and convinced her she had no more time to just think about joining. Because you see, she had been thinking about it for over 3 years and it wasn’t until that day about 4 months ago that she got the courage to walk into the club.
As Jim talked with her, she made every excuse in the book not to commit so she could walk out of the gym without joining. To Jim’s credit, he knew if she walked out that day she might never get the courage to come back. He encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone and do what was right for her health, happiness and overall well being.
Today, the good news is she has lost over 20 lbs and feels like she’s 10 years younger. She has even found a boyfriend and is planning a trip to Hawaii this summer! She eagerly told me she’s already bought the bikini she is going to wear.
Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone and have people challenge us to make a decision that might not be the most comfortable. Don’t live life in the slow lane all the time, sometimes you need to veer into the fast lane and be pushed, just like this courageous lady did.
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I agree! I’ve had this same experience several times
Great story, Joe. Everyone has their tipping point before doing the things that they need to do to make positive changes in their life. It’s amazing how a little success can breed confidence and the will to keep those changes in effect.
If we stay in our comfort zones, we never grow.
Thanks for the great feedback Michael, good stuff! I love to see success stories that make this business so rewarding