Healthy Living • Y Stories • YMCA Health and Fitness
The consequences of confidence: how volunteering at the Y impacts every aspect of Amanda’s life
14 September 2016 - by YMCA of Greater Toronto
Amanda confesses that she was initially reluctant to join a gym, and did so only because she knew she was “supposed to.” Only by building up the courage to take and eventually teach YMCA Arriba classes would Amanda discover the far-reaching consequences that confidence would have on every facet of her life. Here’s her Y story:
I used to think I was shy. I would always avoid social situations, and when I was forced into public settings, my main goal would be to avoid drawing attention to myself. Today, I realize those feelings I thought were just low self-esteem were actually anxiety. I used to let that anxiety dictate every decision I made — until I finally worked up the courage to join a YMCA Arriba class.
That was over four years ago. At that point, the pre-YMCA me had no interest in joining a gym, but I had a family and knew we should be doing some sort of physical activity together. We looked at a few different options, but none had that “family togetherness” energy that the Y did: I knew this was a place my son could play, dance, and run around while I did my own workouts.
When I first joined the Y, my shyness continued to dictate my every move. It took me a while to transition from working out solo to joining in on group fitness classes. Then, when I did start going, I’d get there after the warm up and leave when the cool down started, because that way, I knew I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone else.
After a year of that, my true transformation occurred, when I learned about the Y’s fitness instructor training program. I’ve already written about my initial experience with that program, including the huge boost of self-esteem and sense of empowerment it gave me, as well as a brand new network of friends and colleagues who love Arriba as much as I do.
Today, with over a year of instructing under my belt, I still feel like I’m progressing and growing as a person. I’m so proud that my shy self — the shyest woman in the room who couldn’t even bear the thought of having to speak to a classmate — made it to the front of that classroom. I made a huge transition, from being in awe of and inspired by the other women taking fitness classes with me, to becoming the woman teaching that class and trying to inspire its participants.
That’s the real beauty of the Y. Sure, I’m in the best shape of my life, my energy levels are through the roof, and my mind is the clearest it’s ever been. But I’ve also gained this new sense of confidence and self-esteem that I never would have if I’d just lost a bit of weight by working out alone at an unfriendly gym. The Y gave me the tools I needed to get where I wanted to be, and now I’m able to devote all of my extra energy towards helping others, just as I’ve been helped.
I used to think I was shy. I would always avoid social situations, and when I was forced into public settings, my main goal would be to avoid drawing attention to myself. Today, I realize those feelings I thought were just low self-esteem were actually anxiety. I used to let that anxiety dictate every decision I made — until I finally worked up the courage to join a YMCA Arriba class.
That was over four years ago. At that point, the pre-YMCA me had no interest in joining a gym, but I had a family and knew we should be doing some sort of physical activity together. We looked at a few different options, but none had that “family togetherness” energy that the Y did: I knew this was a place my son could play, dance, and run around while I did my own workouts.
When I first joined the Y, my shyness continued to dictate my every move. It took me a while to transition from working out solo to joining in on group fitness classes. Then, when I did start going, I’d get there after the warm up and leave when the cool down started, because that way, I knew I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone else.
After a year of that, my true transformation occurred, when I learned about the Y’s fitness instructor training program. I’ve already written about my initial experience with that program, including the huge boost of self-esteem and sense of empowerment it gave me, as well as a brand new network of friends and colleagues who love Arriba as much as I do.
Today, with over a year of instructing under my belt, I still feel like I’m progressing and growing as a person. I’m so proud that my shy self — the shyest woman in the room who couldn’t even bear the thought of having to speak to a classmate — made it to the front of that classroom. I made a huge transition, from being in awe of and inspired by the other women taking fitness classes with me, to becoming the woman teaching that class and trying to inspire its participants.
That’s the real beauty of the Y. Sure, I’m in the best shape of my life, my energy levels are through the roof, and my mind is the clearest it’s ever been. But I’ve also gained this new sense of confidence and self-esteem that I never would have if I’d just lost a bit of weight by working out alone at an unfriendly gym. The Y gave me the tools I needed to get where I wanted to be, and now I’m able to devote all of my extra energy towards helping others, just as I’ve been helped.
