Congratulations to Brenda, our recent Open Gym Accountability winner! Brenda has been with Limitless Fitness for more than 5 years, trains with Noah 1x a week and fills her other visits at Limitless in Open Gym. She has an inspiring story, be sure to check out her courageous journey with fitness. When we ask Brenda what she enjoys most about Limitless and Open Gym, she writes “I cried when I first came to Limitless Fitness.  I’ve never been an athlete.  I’m an accountant and always preferred activities like reading or crafts in my leisure time.  Athletes scared me a little and I was absolutely terrified of gyms.  But in 2017, after several years of caring for my dad who had dementia, I knew it was time to prioritize my own health.

I received a flyer in the mail for Limitless Fitness’s Weight Loss Challenge and decided to sign up.  The gym was literally around the corner so I would have no excuse not to go.  When I arrived at Limitless, I timidly told Keith that I wanted to join the class.  He took me into the office to register, but when he started asking me questions, all the terror and the middle school gym class baggage took over.  I started crying.  Keith gave me a tissue and was so kind and caring, talking gently about how Limitless wasn’t “like that” and how I would be just fine.

I started the class with Michelle the next week and I’ve never looked back.  Michelle challenged us and cheered us on, celebrating our successes and worked through our rough patches with care and determination.  By the end of the class, I hadn’t lost as much weight as I had hoped, but I never felt healthier, and I had a new determination to continue this success on my own.  I exercised at home, walked a lot, and planned for my healthiest summer ever.

Then a month later, something happened.  I went from doing 22 sit-ups in a minute to not being able to get up off the floor because my joints wouldn’t move.  I thought it was Lyme disease, but after a summer in pain, I was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  I again turned to Limitless and did personal training with Michelle to help me regain my strength and increase the mobility in my joints.  From there, I did group classes until COVID shut everything down.  As soon as Limitless was able to reopen, though, I was back doing personal training with Keith and now with Noah.  I’m also doing Open Gym once a week.

I don’t know where I would be without Limitless Fitness.  Had I not had that first experience with Michelle, I don’t know if I would have had the strength to fight through RA.  Sometimes you don’t know how bad you feel until you feel good, and once you’ve felt good, you want that back.  I also discovered that fitness is a personal journey and it’s okay if you can’t lift as much weight or do as many push-ups as the person next to you.  If you’re doing your best and challenging yourself, that’s success.”

~Brenda