WAUNAKEE, Wis. — For many, starting a fitness journey can be a nerve-racking experience.
Nissa Zimmer said she knows firsthand what it feels like to get a new start.
“I always thought I would never do CrossFit. It seemed hard and scary,” said Zimmer. “When I started, I did not want to come to my first class because I was scared and nervous.”
Zimmer said overcoming that fear of going to the gym is the hardest part. She said if someone can do that, they will be fine.
She is now six months into her fitness journey and, with the New Year, said she has new fitness goals.
“I want to be able to do a true pull-up, maybe after a year of being here and getting my weight up on certain movements,” said Zimmer.
Zimmer is far from the only one setting New Year’s resolution fitness goals.
Marlow Hicks is the owner of Fortify Fitness. He said the new year is always a great time of year for his gym.
“We got a new calendar year. That’s the time people want to make changes; we’re here for that and we’re also here for any other time of the year,” said Hicks.
Hicks opened Fortify Fitness during the pandemic, when many gyms were struggling to keep their doors open. He said his gym has come a long way since then.
“We’re definitely at full capacity. We had like little boxes; we had to stay in here. Now, we are one big happy family giving high fives,” said Hicks. “We have more community events where people are coming together, and many people spend time together outside of the gym.”
Zimmer said that sense of community is something that keeps her coming back every day.
“I have made some friends since I started and I was also new to town when I started here, so it really helped me feel like I have a place in the community,” said Zimmer.
Zimmer had advice for those who are looking to go to the gym, but are scared.
“Wherever you are, just start and do the movements,” said Zimmer. “You don’t have to do heavy weights and you will learn as you go.”