Alan’s Story: On Finding Community in Fitness

It is safe to say that New York City is not the easiest place to embrace a global pandemic, especially when you're running your own fitness business. I spent many mornings dragging a wagon filled with fitness equipment to Pier 25 in the hopes that people would show up for a 45-minute boot camp-style workout. Luckily, my community and NYC showed how resilient they are by showing up every day and putting in the work. The challenge that I faced during this time mentally was being on the verge of burnout, and not having anyone to rely on because if I didn't show up, then there was no class. At times, it put a lot of pressure on my mental and physical health. Luckily, I was able to hire some friends in the space by opening up and asking for help.

During all the ups and downs of the past couple of years, I have been laser-focused on keeping active. With many gyms closing during the pandemic, I made it a point to surround myself with a fitness community that I knew would hold me accountable to find regular exercise daily and feel (fuel) better. Going into the second year of the pandemic, I knew that exercise and eating well would be my most vital attribute to keeping myself mentally safe.

The fitness community has taught me what I am passionate about. It has brought an accountability aspect that I know without the community would be lost. Overall, having my fitness community makes me happier as a human because we all have the same end goal: to live our best, healthiest lives. For me, the link between my mental and physical health go hand in hand, and truthfully I believe there is no mental health without the physical. It is so easy to get caught up with the stimulation of the city, so it is essential to relax, take your breaks, but keep working hard. I prioritize investing in myself first with movement as often as I can to start the day. This makes the stressors of the day just easy tasks and allows me to be the best version of myself with my work.

In previous years, men's issues often stemmed from societal expectations and traditional gender roles, which usually led us to think men must be masculine to show their strength and control, rely on themselves, and not seek help from others. These old-school thinking methods make it very tough to get far in life, relationships, and our careers. With depression at an all-time high after the pandemic, it is safe to say that the challenges are even harder to cope with, which is highly due to the isolation factors. To grow, I believe we should all open up, and ask for help, especially if we're isolated because of these pandemic restrictions. We all need interaction and opening up during those times allows us to grow for the better.

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