Summary

Bridie Dillon shares her positive experience and increased self-worth after quitting the gym and adopting home workouts, emphasizing the benefits of freedom, efficiency, and self-love.

Abstract

Bridie Dillon's article "My Results Quitting the Gym? A Remarkable Surge of Self-Love" details her journey from joining a gym at the encouragement of a friend to eventually finding greater satisfaction and self-worth through home workouts. The decision to quit the gym was influenced by the convenience and efficiency of home exercises, especially during the pandemic, and the realization that she was not utilizing her gym membership enough to justify the cost. Dillon found strength and love in letting go of the traditional gym setting, which allowed her to focus more on her exercise routines without the logistical stress. She committed to a simple promise of daily movement, which led to a stronger mind-body connection and a cherished routine. This choice not only saved money but also time, contributing to a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. The article emphasizes the power of making intentional choices that align with one's personal needs and circumstances.

Opinions

The author believes that home workouts are more efficient and time-effective than gym workouts, especially considering the logistics involved in getting to the gym.
Dillon values the certainty and comfort of being able to exercise at home without external pressures or constraints, such as gym hours or wearing a mask.
She expresses that the decision to quit the gym was initially nerve-wracking but ultimately liberating, leading to increased happiness and freedom.
The author acknowledges the societal expectations placed on mothers to maintain fitness routines and shares her personal challenges with these expectations, ultimately finding a solution that worked for her.
Dillon emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and not pushing the body beyond its limits out of guilt or inconsistency.
She attributes a significant boost in self-worth to the ability to keep a promise to herself and to shape her world through her choices.
The article suggests that small, intentional decisions can lead to profound self-improvement and love, as exemplified by Dillon's experience with her fitness journey.
Dillon recommends other writers' works on courage and audience engagement, indicating her appreciation for the broader community of writers and the value of their insights.

My Results Quitting the Gym? A Remarkable Surge of Self-Love

Freedom, self-worth, and home workouts

A sweaty Halloween afternoon in 2019, after spending forty minutes alongside my Mum friend on the stationary bikes (who’d been coming twice a day), she was hooked! With her encouragement and promise to take our kids in the pool together, I joined the gym, again.

Fast forward a pandemic setting in, and a two-year contract (2021), I quit. It made sense: besides the occasional swim or sled run, I did most workouts at home anyway, cheers COVID for that one☝

I started working out on Youtube, following free programs with Chloe Ting or Lilly Sabri, I wrote about their sensational marketing elsewhere.

With money saved from the membership, weekly I collected hand weights/kettlebells, a set of resistance bands, foam roller, we already had a yoga mat, my daughters had a gymnastic mat, I was ready to quit!

This story is about how I found strength and love in letting go, giving me a stronger grip on my self-worth. How making two simple choices resulted in the reinvention of my inner world. The choices:

Make the move away from traditional gym-based fitness

2. Promising to move, daily, 10 minutes minimum

Destination Known

Certainty in a world so turbulent is an immense comfort, knowing I could wake up and workout, barefoot — without having to check if the gym was open, not talk to a soul, or wear a mask, this routine and certainty was something I clung to through 2020.

The simple explanation for quitting:

I just didn’t use it enough to make it worth our money.
Home workouts are more efficient and time effective

The deeper explanation:

I could focus on the actual exercise rather than logistics!

Evaporating Nerves

Nervous when finally deciding to quit, having flashes of Ross and Chandlers failed attempts, I got my partner to come with me so they didn’t coax me into continuing to pay for something I didn’t use.

We walked up to the young woman at the front and I stated my intention to quit, she didn’t even ask why… then quickly started the speel on how leaving works.

We walked out the door, stripped off our masks and I was happier and freer than I’d felt in a long time.

Overthinking be gone

I would overthink simply getting to the gym. Having two kids and a full study schedule, I had to plan when, how and what I was going to do when I got there. I’d go at weird times like after they went to sleep (9 pm anyone? 😴 )

This went on a few months until the thought of trying to fit it in became exhausting. After studying for 6 hours, picking up the kids, all the invisible labor, I didn’t much feel like doing anything let alone yanking on a sports bra and driving to the gym.

I know lots of mothers make it work with early mornings, creche, etc. Just not for me. We tried going in creche hours, fun fact about my youngest: Back then, left around new people she would cry so much she would puke, so that idea disappeared quick.

There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one’s self.

- Benjamin Franklin

A Simple Promise

My intentional matt unrolling routine and focus on a strong mind-body connection quickly became a cherished part of my day.

Each day, mostly in the mornings, even if my daughters woke up (they’d often do some with me, or climb on my back 🤷‍♀️ )

I promised myself this:

10 minutes minimum, I promised after 10 minutes I could stop if I felt the need, often I would keep going 40 minutes+ Other days I did my 10-minutes and was content I’d kept a promise to myself.

This simple promise led to me feeling fantastic body and mind, knowing I could shape my world when I decided. Powerful freedom, a freedom I gifted myself.

I derived insane amounts of self-worth from this, and it feels so silly, so simple but I learned to value and love what I could do rather than punish myself for what I didn’t.

This simple decision led me to understand myself better, be kinder to my body by not pushing myself well beyond the limit, simply because I felt guilty being so inconsistent.

This simple promise uncovered remarkable surges of Self-Love, that still surges through me today. Each time I choose to improve my body with exercise, I improve my mind, all from choosing to:

Do what I can, with what I have, where I am.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” — Theodore Roosevelt

Final words 😃

My choice was heavily influenced by the money we would save, quickly becoming about the time saved too.

That choice to leave the gym was one of the best I’ve made in a while, I feel this choice led me to other hugely positive ones, like getting serious about writing and choosing to stay in work I find challenging.

Maybe each choice fed off the other? Who knows? But I couldn’t be happier with the results.

I would like to recommend Sujona Chatterjee’s brave piece on finding the courage and balance to ask questions! ❤ How I Gained the Courage to Ask Questions

and

Dr. Preeti Singh’s encouraging piece on the beauty and strength in audience engagement ❤ Audience Engagement Is A Great Motivator

Thank you for reading, it means more than you know!

Bridie Dillon, Throwing words into the universe.

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