I have always been skinny. I have always been able to see my ribs. I have always been able to fit two fingers around my wrist with no problem.

People used to make jokes about how weak I looked (and was, to be honest). I never thought I would be a person that had muscles. I never thought I would be a person who enjoyed working out. I prided myself on the fact that I hated working out, just like the majority of teenagers. I had pretty much accepted the fact that exercising was something I was bad at and would always be bad at.

That all changed when I got to college. At the beginning of the year, my mental health plummeted and I began to work out once a week. Working out gave me a purpose and a goal to work towards. Working out distracted me, while also improving my overall health. I began to work out every day for a half-hour, which I’ll admit, was too much (for me).

I started to feel guilty and disappointed in myself when I didn’t work out and that made exercising lose some of the benefits it had provided me with at the beginning. After winter break, I joined CHAARG, which is a fitness group at Ball State. It encourages women to work out in a healthy, supportive environment no matter what stage of their fitness journey they’re on.

This was a huge step forward in my fitness career. I decreased the amount I was exercising extremely, only working out three times a week. I also began to work out with a friend, instead of by myself, which made everything twenty times more enjoyable. Whenever I went to the gym or discussed my fitness goals with other people, I was always concerned that they would judge me. “You’re already skinny, why do you need to work out?” “You’ve never struggled with food or being overweight, why do you need to work out?”

I thought that just because I didn’t share those challenges that my fitness journey was somehow more invalid. CHAARG helped me to realize that all fitness goals/journeys valid.

The reality is: no one cares. And you shouldn’t care either. Working out is good for you, no matter what number it says on the scale. Working out is what you make it, there’s no set stereotype you need to fit to start exercising.

Never ever in a million years did I think I would be someone who liked to work out. I never thought I would be developing muscles. I never thought I would be someone who knew the machines at the gym fairly well (I’m still working on it). And yet, I’m here. Crushing it.

Don’t let your own expectations stop you from trying new things. Don’t let what you used to be like dictate what you will be.